A Fractured Reflection
by HalseBoys
Summary: A simple mission that goes horribly wrong and changes Stevens life forever. How will he cope with these changes and how will it affect his life?
1. Chapter 1 How it Begins

Normal Pov.

Thunder struck across the sky as rain pelted the ground below. The wind blow harshly, shaking trees as it did. The ground was nothing but mud at this point and the creatures of the woods quickly took shelter from the storm.

Then a large figure runs by.

It keeps running trying to get away from something. The rain beating against the figure that seems to be heading in a random direction. In these harsh conditions it had a hard time noticing the spear that just missed his body and in-bedded itself in the tree he just passed. It bobbed and weaved through the trees trying to lose its assailants.

?:"Why did this have to happen to me?!"

...

_*Earlier that day*_

It was a beautiful sunny day outside with birds flying around and the gentle waves of the ocean only adding to that. The rays from outside shine through a window and onto a young boys face. Said boy squints his eyes trying in vain to remain asleep but ultimately fails.

The boy wakes with a groan before rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He stares at the ceiling for a good minute before pulling the covers off of himself then slowly getting out of bed. He stretches his body out, hearing his joints crack and pop as he works to get them all stretched out.

When that was done he headed downstairs and over to the kitchen where he grabs a stool to help himself reach the upper cabinets. After a minute of searching he pulls out a box of cereal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch to be exact, placing the box on the counter before going to the fridge and pulling out the milk carton. Reaching under the counter and pulling out a bowl big enough to quail his appetite. With everything there he began making his breakfast. This being one of his favorites cereals this might just be a good morning after all. One could only hope.

He sat in silence as he ate, actually enjoying these moments of peace and quiet that don't happen too often. Sadly right as he finished his breakfast the warp pad went off and ended his peace with the sounds of the gems arguing. Their voices seem to ring across the room ending the great silence that was the being of his peaceful morning.

Stevens Pov.

I looked to the warp pad as I was putting my bowl in the sink. I saw Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl standing there arguing with one another. I also noticed how beat up they all looked, seems they must of gotten into a nasty fight with a gem monster. Not wanting them to continue arguing I call out to them.

"Hey Guys!"

They stopped arguing and turned to me.

Garnet:"Good morning Steven how was your sleep"

"It was pretty good"

Garnet:"Good to hear"

With that she goes into her room.

I then turn to Amethyst and Pearl and see them arguing with each other again.

Pear:"I TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH IT!"

Amethyst:"Jeez Pearl you need to chill it wasn't that much of a problem"

Pearl:"WE HAD TO FIGHT OFF WAVES OF SENTRIES BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T KEEP YOUR SELF FROM TOUCHING THE 'COOL' THING!"

Amethyst:"And it was totally worth it. Hey Steven check this thing out!"

Amethyst pulls out a strange cube with even stranger gem markings all over it. I had a hard time understanding what the markings meant. But from what I could make out it seemed to depict a giant person towering over smaller beings with his hands raised in the air, destruction and mayhem ensuing in the background. I didn't get to continue looking cause Pearl came over and tried to snatch the box from me, but fail.

Pearl:"Give me that! It needs to be bubbled"

Amethyst:"No way, I'm going to go add it to my junk pile!"

As she began making her way to the temple door Pearl managed to snatched it from her.

Amethyst:"HEY!"

Pearl:"No Amethyst, this isn't just some cool box it's a prophecy cube made by high ranking Sapphires. These prophecy's could range from a bright future to a world ending event. That's why it was so well guarded!"

Just as Amethyst was about to try and take back the cube Garnet comes back out. She quickly walked over to the two gems and snatches the cube from them. This got their attention as they looked to her in confusion as she bubbles the cube and sends it to the burning room.

Garnet:"Gems I had a vision of a something bad happening in a jungle. Could be a gem facility we forgot to check so be ready for anything"

Pearl and Amethyst nod and headed to the warp pad with Garnet. The gems were about to leave when I rushed over to them.

"Hey can I come with you guys?"

The gems looked at each other before turning back to me.

Garnet:"We are going to a place we haven't been to. The place could be filled with traps from the war or even worse. So no"

I deflated at that but I wasn't going to give up.

"I promise to be careful and if we run into anything dangerous I'll hide somewhere till you guys deal with it"

They looked amongst each other again before sighing.

Garnet:"Fine you can come, but you have to stay close to us"

"*Nods* I promise!"

After that I joined them on the warp pad and we all warped away.

...

Normal Pov.

Steven and the gems arrived at some jungle looking place like all others and began their trek through it looking for whatever it is they are looking for. Hours pass as they continue searching for the facility. They were about to give up when they stumble across the facility right next to a mountain. The thing looked to have been built into the side of the mountain with massive blast door. Said doors looked to have seen better days due to the rust and dents littering them. The group went up to the blast doors and tried to find a way in. Running out of options the three gems decided to fuse together to increase their strength and pry the door open. After a bit of effort they managed to get one of the doors off and tossed it to the ground. With the way cleared they proceed inside.

The moment they enter they find themselves in some sort of a hub area. Searching the area for a bit before coming across documents on some project, this could be what they are looking for. They start reading through the documents in detail. It describes some kind of device that was built for a purpose but it was vague on details. This clearly shows that whoever made these documents apparently didn't have the necessary clearance to know more then what was needed. Curiosity peaking the group, they decide to go deeper into the facility hoping to find the described device.

During their search they came across a few corrupted gems but something wasn't right with them, they were bigger and stronger then their counter parts which worried them. After sometime they came across another massive door. Looking around for a way to open it Steven saw a panel with a hand print on it and without thinking he placed his hand on it. The panel begins to glow and the door opens. The gems were startled by the door suddenly opening, which caused Steven to chuckle, but quickly composed themselves and went inside.

As they entered the room everyone noticed how there is no light, making it very hard to see. While walking carefully around in the dark they started to heard a humming sound coming from somewhere in the room. Then suddenly the lights came on, bathing the room in bright light. After a moment of adjusting to the sudden light the group spotted what was making the humming sound.

It was some kind of black object that kept changing into various shapes. It went from a square to a pyramid before becoming a hexagon. The thing also had two rings of white energy surrounding it. The rings were rotating around the object, constantly changing positions around it.

Thinking this was the device mentioned in the notes Garnet called out.

Garnet:"There's the devise!"

Pearl looks at it with a curious gaze.

Pearl:"We should try shutting it off. Don't want to find out what it does"

At that Amethyst cracked a massive grin as she walked closer to the device.

Amethyst"I got this"

Amethyst summons her whip and wraps it around the the devise... only for said device to start rotating rapidly. Amethyst was sent swinging around the room trying to keep her grip on her whip. Sadly she lost her grip and went flying into a wall a crossed the room. Everyone looked and saw her literally embedded in the wall just deep enough to hold her there. After a moment she fell out off the wall and onto the floor with a thud and started groaning in pain.

Amethyst:"Ow... that hurt... a lot"

Pearl walked over to the down gem and crouched next to her.

Pearl:"Well maybe you should think before you act"

The purple gem raises her head and gives Pearl an unamused look.

Amethyst:"*grumbles* I'd like to see you try and stop that thing"

Amethyst continues to grumble as she gets to her feet. The others surround her as they start discussing a plan of action. Before any plan could be made a part of the ceiling opened up and out came what looked like camera. The 'camera' looked at the group before a beam came out of it's center and started to scan each of them. They all stood still while it proceeded to scan them. After few more scans it stopped and retracted into the ceiling. They waited for who knows how long before letting out the breath they didn't know they were holding in.

Amethyst:"Well I guess were-"

Suddenly the room was bathed in a red light as the alarms went off. Then turrets started popping out of the floor, wall, and ceiling. They all pointed at the group, humming with energy.

Pearl:"You just had to open your mouth, didn't you"

Amethyst gave a sheepish smile before dodging out the way of a energy blast. All the turrets started opening fire on them. As the gems dodged the shots Steven just stood there as none of the turrets seem to care about him. Using this to his advantage he makes a beeline for the object in the center of the room.

Steven:"If I can bubble it then maybe these things will shut off"

He continues to run over to the object without the gems noticing since their to busy trying not to get hit. As he gets closer his gem starts to glow without him realizing. He stops right in front of it and was about to bubble it when it started changing frantically. Then it stopped and became an orb with the two rings moving to either side of the orb. Steven watched as the orb seemed to open and reveal an eye staring right at him.

The gems were backed into a corner and readied themselves for the end as turrets got ready to fire the killing blow. Just as the turrets were about to fire they shut off and retracted back to where they came from. This confused the gems greatly as they were sure that they were going to die.

Amethyst:"Why did they stop?"

Garnet simply shrugged while Pearl was looking around madly.

Pearl:"Where's Steven!"

This got the other two in a panic as they began looking around for the boy. It didn't take long for them to see him over by the black object. This object seemed to be staring right at Steven and began to glow. The thought that Steven might be in danger got the gems in motion, trying to get to him.

Gems:"STEVEN!"

But they were too late.

The light reached a critical brightness before exploding in-front of Steven.

Stevens Pov.

All I felt was pain. Everything from my head to my pinkie toe hurt. Maybe next time I'll remember to stay a good distance away from strange objects that I don't understand. To make it worse there was a constant ringing in my ears that was giving me the worse headache ever.

Groaning I slowly open my eyes and took in my surroundings, it seems I was still in the same place as before. What was a room is now mostly rubble with everything in ruins. With some effort I slowly pick myself up, ignoring the pain as best I could. As the dust clears I hear a gasp and look around for the gems and noticed something is off.

They were shorter, A LOT shorter. Then I realize that they're not shorter.

I'm TALLER.

I reach out with my right hand and try to speak to them, but what I saw was not my hand it was a CLAW.

"*Startled* W-What!?"

And my voice. It was a lot deeper then before and seems to have a echo to it.

"*Panicked* What's happened to me?!"

I looked to the gems.

"G-Guys?"

The gems just stood there mouths agape. Then slowly their expressions changed from shock to anger. They all summoned their weapons and started walking over to me with murder in their eyes. The look was like they were going to attack me or something behind me.

This scared me and I backed up slowly as they got closer. Seeing me move must have triggered them cause they started charging right at me not at something behind me. So with no other option I did the only thing I could think of.

I ran.

...

_*Present*_

I don't know how long I'v been running for but I don't care. I keep running and running until I reach a cliff. Seeing no one nearby I took this moment to catch my breath. As I slightly relaxed I thought about the gems and what they tried to do. It didn't make sense to me.

"They looked ready to kill me! Why! Why did they try to kill me?!"

While I kept asking the same question over and over in my head I never felt the tears rolling down my face. When I did feel it I openly cried and wailed my sorrow. As time went by I curled into a ball on the muddy ground as the rain started beating on me from above. As I was about to fall asleep I heard a voice not to far away.

Unknown:"It went this way!"

In a panic I spring back onto my feet and try to flee again but instead I slip on the mud and fall over the edge of the cliff. Time seems to slow down as I fell, I saw the outline of three individuals standing on the edge of the cliff looking right down at me. The three people I cared about, saw as heroes, and thought of as family looked at me with nothing but anger and disgust. All I could do was look back at them with nothing but fear in my eyes as I fell into the raging river below.


	2. Chapter 2 What am I?

Normal Pov.

Dark gray clouds hang high in the sky, blocking the world from the sun. The occasional sound of thunder would ring out across the lands. Down below, near a riverbank lied a still form. The form belonged to none other then Steven Universe.

He laid there on the muddy ground with half his body still in the water, but was not swept away. He would have remained there on the ground unconscious if not for a visitor.

A small bird flew down upon him and landed on his head. The bird would chirp every few seconds and peck at his head. It kept doing this until Steven started to stir. The bird seemed to hesitate for a moment before continuing pecking Stevens head.

Big mistake.

Steven:"Get off me!"

He swiped at the bird. Said bird panicked and flew away, leaving Steven alone. Still slightly disorientated Steven propped himself up on his knees while trying to clear his head. Shaking his head he got to his feet and surveyed the area.

He appeared to be in some forest given all the trees surrounding him. Turning to the river he looked up it and saw nothing resembling the cliff he fell off.

Steven:"How far did the river take me?"

Just then his head started pounding. He gripped his head as the pain started to become unbearable. After a few moments the pain settled down a bit but wasn't fully gone yet.

Steven:"*Grumbles* Where are some painkillers when you need them"

Then memories of last night resurfaced from his mind. The gem facility, some weird device, an explosion, the gems rushing at him, running through the storm, then final the fall from the cliff and the murderous looks from the ones he called family. This rush of memories caused him to fall to his knees once more.

Steven:"*Distraught* T-they attacked me! They looked ready to kill me?!"

Tears began to cloud his vision as the memories repeated themselves over and over again. In moments they fell as his grief fully made itself aware. As his tears fall he wonders what he should do now, the gems made it VERY clear that they will attack him with the intent to kill. He would have to dwell on this later as he realized just how parched he is. Turning back to the river he questions if he should drink from it but seeing no other sources of water he reluctantly drinks from it. After drinking what could have been gallons worth of water he raised his head from the water. Gazing upon the water he notices his reflection and his heart stops, his whole body was different in not only size, but in shape, and color.

He's not just taller but a LOT taller, around 8 feet tall making him a head taller then Garnet. Under the remains of his shirt and pants _(rags at this point)_he appears to have well defined muscles to go with his new bulky frame which is a dark pink. Covering his body was some kind of bright pink armor that seems to be made of the same stuff as his gem and looked to be merged with his body. Across his body were brown vines that went over his armor and were covered in white thorns. Turning he sees that his spine was exposed with tidbits of flesh clinging to it. Turning back around he gazes at his fingers that seem to be encased in the same kind of armor as the rest of his body that end in sharp claws, his toes were in the same boat. His face seems to be armored just like the rest of his body with a pair of pointy ears. His eyes though were black and the iris was pink with a slight glow to it. His hair was more wild and spiky, reaching the base of his neck with the base of the hair colored a dark pink and becoming lighter going up. When he open his mouth he found two rows of teeth, the front set were sharp and pointy while the second row looked like normal teeth.

Steven:"What's happened to me?"

As he continues to check himself out he hears a twig snap. His head snapped in the direction of the sound and, unbeknownst to him, his pupils dilate into slits. Seconds tick by as he stared unblinking at the source of the noise. Then out came the cause of the noise, a rabbit. Steven doesn't know why but that rabbit is looking VERY tasty right now, he even drooled a little. Realizing what he was thinking he shakes his head, wondering why he was thinking this. His sudden movement caused the rabbit to run off into the forest. Sighing in relief he decides to move through the forest and find a way out.

...

Hours pass as he makes his way through the forest. He would look to the sky and try to find the sun so he would know which way was north but couldn't thanks to the clouds. After some time he stopped and took a break. Using this time he observed his surroundings to make sure nothing would get the jump on him. Normally he wouldn't be this paranoid but he didn't know where he was and knew that gem monsters roamed the earth and he REALLY didn't want to run into one of them. Seeing that all was clear he began to think about what he should do when he gets home.

He sure as hell can't stay in the temple due to the fact that the gems might try and kill him. Maybe he could try and stay at Vidalias, she was a friend of dads and was always kind to him. That is if she doesn't freak out about his new appearance. He could stay with dad in the van, but that's if he doesn't have a heart attack at the sight of him. Or maybe Sadie, she was always nice to him at the Big Donut. Maybe she could offer him some sanctuary for awhile, at least until he can fined a place for himself. His thoughts were broken by the rustling of some nearby bush.

From the bushes came a dear. It walked around a bit before it started eating some grass. Steven silently watched the dear as it ate. This reminded him that he hasn't eaten since yesterday and should probably fined something to eat. As if hearing this his stomach rumbled loudly as if to tell him it agrees. The stomach's rumbled didn't go unnoticed as the dears head shot up and stared right at Steven. As he stared at the dear he started to feel weird and VERY hungry. His vision starts to go black and before he enters complete darkness he can see himself rushing at the dear.

...

After some time his vision starts to return to him along with his senses. It didn't take him long to realize that there was something in his mouth. Chewing a bit his tastes came to live and told him what ever was in his mouth was delicious. Chewing some more he swallows and enjoys the tastes as it goes down his throat and into his stomach. No longer felling hungry he starts to look around and notices that he was in the same area as before. Confused he got up and decided to look around.

He didn't get more than a foot before hearing a loud crack.

Looking down he saw the remains of a dear skeleton or whats left of one since it was missing almost a third of them. This only added to his confusion cause he doesn't remember there being a dear skeleton here earlier so how did-

The realization of what really happened came down on him like a ton of bricks.

He starts to feel sick but manages to keep his food down, or what is actually the rest of the dear in his stomach.

Steven:"I-I ate the dear"

His mouth quivers a bit before curling into a smile, or as best it can given the armor.

Steven:"And it was delicious! Although it could've used some sauce, maybe if I fined the right herbs I could try to make my own seasoning and use it the next time I find a dear"

Normally he would be horrified by what he did. But what's done is done, no use in crying over spilled milk. Besides he was hungry and its already in his stomach so there's no use in complaining now.

With that settled he began his journey once more to find a way home.

...

3 hours later he comes to the edge of the forest. Upon exiting it he finds himself near the kindergarten that Amethyst brought him to a while back. He makes his way over to it, going from grassy grounds to dead earth as he got closer.

Once inside the kindergarten he starts to look around the place. He sees many exit holes made by gems when they emerge and the injectors that make the gems. In the distance he sees a warp pad and this makes him pick up his pace as he rushes towards it. When he arrived he was about to try and warp away when something out the corner of his eye caught his attention. He sees some strange green orb thing hovering above what he could guess were legs. It seems to be looking for something as it goes around a nearby corner. Curiosity getting the better of him he decides to follow it.

10 minutes of following the green orb thing and he sees it stop. He watches as the legs disappear inside it before it shoots the ground below it with green electricity. The ground opens up as it transforms into a prism and connects with the hole. It then started to descend further into the ground and, not wanting to be left behind, followed it. He slid down the hole and landed on top of the thing and rode it the rest of the way. It didn't take long to reach the bottom.

He entered some kind of cavern that had what he could guess was gem tech all over the place. As the prism thing came to a stop a platform came out and connected to the prism he was on. Soon lines of green energy appeared on the platform and went through the cavern, illuminating it a little. A glowing circle appeared further in the room and a some kind of hand shaped console rose up from it. To distracted by this he never noticed the little orb thing run across the room until it was on the console. A crystal at the very end glowed as the walls started to different pictures of the kindergarten. The a beam shot out of the crystal and formed a holo screen that revealed a green gem with yellow diamond shaped hair and a visor with her gem on her forehead.

The green gem begins going over various things with another holo screen on her end. As she talks about things that Steven didn't really care about he decided to get closer and see what she's looking at. She appears to have summoned two giant green hands that start to do stuff on the walls. In moments the ceiling opened and six pillars came out.

Steven:"I wonder what those are?"

In a matter of seconds the pillars along with the screens on the walls vanished and the screen with the gems face appeared right in front of him with the floating hands below it. Her look of confusion quickly turned to one of fear.

?:"*Terrified* W-What are you?!"

Steven:"Human"

He could see the look of disbelieve on her face. He would to if in her position.

?:"Y-You don't look l-like any human w-we have on d-database"

He couldn't help but give a toothy smile, which obviously terrified her even more.

Steven:"I'm a special case"

From what he could see she was looking up various things on her end, trying to find records of something like him. Too bad she won't find anything.

Steven:"There's no use in searching for something like me. After all; I'm one of a kind"

She seems relieved at this information.

?:"*Mumbles* At least there isn't anymore of you"

Steven:"I heard that!"

She lets out an 'eep' before trying to compose herself.

Steven:"Now mind if I ask what your doing?"

He could see a small smile grow on her face.

?:"Just picking up were we left off"

With that she brings a fist up and try's to squash Steven. He stared as the fist came down at a somewhat slow pace wondering if she really means to hurt him. Not seeing this as a real threat he simply steps out the way as the fist hits the ground. He gives her a deadpan look while quirking a nonexistent eyebrow.

Steven:"Really?"

This seems to tick her off as she brings the other fist up and sends it twice as fast. Now seeing a threat he leaps out the way, pissing her off even more.

?:"Hold still!"

She did the same thing again and still missed. Now frustrated she started sending the fist all over the place. Steven had a hard time dodging the attacks and actually got hit. The hit itself sent him flying into a wall and he could hear the gem cheer at the successful hit. She sent one more to finish the job. Just as it was about to hit him he grabbed it with one hand and stopped it completely, shocking the gem.

?:"*Disbelieve* WHAT?!"

Growling Steven raised his head to reveal his slitted eyes. The gem was freaked out by this and Steven used this to his advantage by grabbing the fist with his other hand before tearing it in half. She panicked some more and sent the other fist at him. He simple moved to the side and just as it passed him he grabbed it. With a roar he threw the fist into the crystal at the far end of the room and it blew up. The holo screen started to glitch up and before it disappeared the gem had one last thing to say.

?:"*Pissed* I'M REPORTING THIS!"

And so the screen went out and the room was bathed in darkness.

...

Steven spent 2 minutes clawing his way out of the hole and onto the surface. Once out he started to look for a way out of the kindergarten. Didn't take him long to find a warp pad in the distance and rushed towards it. Upon arrival he tried to warp home but it wouldn't. He continued to try until the sun had nearly set but had no luck. Realizing that it wasn't going to work he stopped trying.

Instead he decided to leave the kindergarten. Using what little memory he has of this place he goes looking for an exit. To make matters worse it started raining.

Steven:"Oh come on!"

With a growl he went searching for some shelter. Sadly the only thing that could count as shelter were the exit holes, which were too small for him. just as he was about to call it a day he hears the horn of a train in the distance. This sparked a memory of the time he ran away with Amethyst and how they road a train all the ways to the kindergarten. Using this to his advantage he rushed out of the kindergarten and towards the train.

It didn't take him long to spot the train. Running with all his strength he caught up to it and looked for a way in. Seeing a open cart ahead he picked up speed and got alongside it. Using every last bit of strength he had left he leaped into the cart and crashed into a hay pile.

Tired and sore from the days events he let sleep claim him.

... 

_Chapter 2 is done!_

_It took some time to re-due this entire chapter but I managed. I hope you guys like the changes I made._

_Please leave a like and comment on the chapter if you have something to say._

_Until next time!_


	3. Chapter 3 Home

Normal Pov.

Dark clouds hang high in the sky blocking the sun from view. In a office of sorts sat a middle aged man. Said man was passed-out in his chair with a magazine on his face. He was awoken by the sound of a horn. Startled he fell out of the chair and onto the floor. Groaning he got up and looked out a window and saw a train pull up to the station. Grumbling he straightened his uniform, revealing a name tag that read 'Jim' on it, exited his office and walked over to the front of the train.

When he got there he saw the conductor coming out and greeted him. The conductor was a old man that looked to be in his 80's with distinguishing green eyes and a pair of gold wire framed glasses. He also had long gray hair along with a gray beard to match.

Jim:"Hey Frank"

The conductor, now named Frank, turned to him and waved.

Frank:"Jim, good to see ya"

Jim:"You to. So hulling anything interesting?"

Frank:"*Shrugs* Not really. Just a bunch of crates from down south. Although I think I saw something board one of the carts last night. Think you can go and investigate for me?"

Jim:"Sure thing Frank"

With that Jim began checking the carts. So far he's found nothing interesting, just a bunch of crates. When he got to one of the last three carts he saw it filled with nothing but a bunch of hay. Thinking nothing of it he was about to continue searching when he saw a pile of hay move. Cautiously he climbed into the cart and pulled out a baton. Getting closer he jabbed the baton into the hay.

Jim:"Who ever you are I suggest you wake up!"

He continued to jab at the pile until something grabbed the baton. He barely got a glimpse of the pink claws that gripped the baton before it was yanked out of his hand. Just then something rose from the hay pile. The thing was over 8 feet tall, practically dwarfing Jim who's only 5'2 frame. It leaned closer and Jim couldn't help but shake in fear as it bared its sharp teeth with glowing pink eyes.

Steven:"*Growls* Is there a reason your poking me?"

At the sound of his voice Jim runs away screaming like a little girl while also shouting about a 'monster' that's going to eat him. Steven was honestly a bit hurt at hearing someone calling him a monster but quickly shook it off. Hopping out of the cart Steven starts to look around and notice that he's at a familiar train yard just outside of Beach City. Seeing no other option he begins to make his way to the city. At least he had an idea of where he was.

...

After an hours journey he enters the residential area of Beach City. He sees people walking about doing their own thing and children playing in the streets. He had to restrain himself from just walking out in the open like any other day. Looking down he realizes that his appearance would more than likely scare the people. With little choice he stuck to the shadows to get around the city without being seen.

He moved between buildings and alleyways doing his best to not be noticed. On occasion he would almost get spotted but luckily he remained unseen. He had to thank the dark clouds above for providing enough dark areas for him to hide in. While moving he couldn't help but feel a little empty at the fact that he has to remain hidden or else he people would fear him. That brought his mood down a lot but he continued to move through the shadows.

Soon he had made it to the boardwalk and noticed that it was empty. This made him a little concerned due to the fact that the boardwalk is almost never empty. Not taking it for granted he walked out of his hiding place and out into the open. Looking around he sees a poster on the wall of Fish Stew Pizza and upon closer inspection he gasped.

The poster had a picture of him, before his transformation. At the top it had the word 'Missing' and at the bottom it read that 'If found please contact Mr. Universe'. This was probably the reason why the boardwalk was so empty. People must be out looking for him all over town which would also explain why there was so many people out in the residential area.

Turning away from the poster he began to ponder on what to do next. He could go back to the temple and try to explain to the gems his predicament. That went out the window instantly at the memory of a few days ago. His other option was to go to his Dad and hope he didn't have a heart-attack at the sight of him. Or maybe he could go to Vidalias, she's always been very open to him and he has very little doubt that she would turn him away.

Making a decision he goes to pay his Dad a visit.

...

When he arrived it looked like it was about to rain but Steven could care less. He spotted the van his Dad lives in and saw said man sitting there with a frame in hand. Tears were streaming down his face and Steven could feel his heart ache at the site. Taking a deep breath he walked over.

Greg was sitting there with tears streaming down his face as he looked at the photo frame in his hands. It held a picture of him and Steven during last years barbecue when the gems decided to join them. Of course it didn't end well thanks to Amethyst eating all the food and Pearl complaining about something. Even with everything that went wrong that day his son never stopped smiling. It took him a moment to realize that someone was standing in front of him. Raising his head his eyes widened and mouth agape.

There standing before him was what could only be best described as a monster.

Greg:"W-What the?!"

Steven was a little taken aback by the look of horror on his fathers face. He knew that he would be scared of him but didn't think it would effect him too much. Before he could get a word in his father reached behind himself and pulled out a guitar. He then proceeded to swing it at Steven and it breaking upon contact with him.

The two stood there in silence as they stared at the remains of the broken instrument. Before long his fathers eyes roll into the back of his head and he collapses on the ground. Steven couldn't help that his heart-drooped at this.

Steven:"That didn't go as well as I had hoped"

Picking up his dad he heads into the car wash and proceeds to set him in a nearby chair. He then sits down in another chair and waits.

...

Hours went by and still no response. By now it started to rain pretty hard outside and Steven couldn't help but watch. He still didn't know what he was gonna say to his father when he woke up and it started to get to him. What if he doesn't listen, what if he forsakes him, what if-.

He shakes his head rapidly. He shouldn't worry about 'what ifs' and instead he should worry on what he's going to say.

Sadly Steven didn't have time to think about that as he heard his father waking up. Turning he saw him slowly open his eyes and look around in confusion. When those eyes spotted Steven they widened and Greg began to shake.

Greg:"*Panicking* P-Please don't eat me!"

Seeing how he's panicking Steven raised his hands in the air and slowly approached him.

Steven:"I'm not going to hurt you"

That didn't seem to work as his father bolted from the chair and jumped behind the counter. His father soon rose from behind it with a bat in hand.

Greg:"I-I'm warning y-you, I'll use this!"

Still trying to defuse the situation Steven kept his hands in the air and spoke calmly.

Steven:"It's okay I promise I won't hurt you"

He sees Greg begin to waver a little. Just as Greg was about to lower the bat he narrowed his eyes. Steven watched as he observed him before his eyes widen in shock. Steven smiled a little thinking that his father had recognized him. Sadly his smile disappeared as the shock was quickly replaced with rage.

Greg:"YOU!"

He leaped from behind the counter and swung the bat. Steven dodged to the left and backed away from his father in shock.

Greg:"The gems told me about you! How your the one who took Steven away!"

He came in for another swing but Steven easily dodged it.

Greg:"Where is he! What did you you do to him! WHERE IS MY SON!"

He attacked once more and Steven just dodged again.

Steven:"You got it all wrong! I'm Steven your son!"

He dodged once more as Greg came in for another swing.

Greg:"Liar!"

Steven didn't know what to do. His father won't believe him and won't stop attacking him. He can't fight back because he could seriously hurt him and he didn't want that. Running out of options he tried one last time to get through to his father.

Steven:"Dad please stop! Its really me Steven, your son! The one you helped raise alongside the gems. Don't you remember!"

This only seemed to anger Greg even more. With a bellow he swung the bat twice as hard. By some luck he managed to hit Steven in the side. Steven yelped at the sudden feeling of pain and in reaction swung his arm out.

His eyes widened when he heard his father cry out in pain. Turning his head he saw his father on the ground holding his left arm. Said arm was just dangling there uselessly, indicating that it was broken. Realizing what he had done Steven did the only thing he could think of.

He ran out the building and into the storm.

...

Steven ran through the city not caring about where he was going. His mind was in turmoil at the prospect of what he had just done. He couldn't believe he had hurt his own father, managing to break his arm! He knows that it was accident but that still didn't help the fact that he hurt him.

Stopping for a second Steven took a look at where he was. He appeared to be in the marketing district of the city. Various stores ranging from jewelry to clothing were spread out in the district. Most of them seemed closed but one, a clothing store that still has its lights on. Wanting to take shelter from the rain he walked inside.

Once inside he shook some of the water off and took a look around. There were rows of clothes ranging from shirts, pants, socks, jackets, underwear, and even some scarfs. He found the fact that there were scarfs and hoodies on sale to be strange since it's the middle of July. Seeing all of this clothing had Steven look down on the rags that were once considered clothes. Seeing that they're useless Steven ripped what was left off and began looking for replacements. After some time Steven went into the changing room to try on what he picked. When he came out he was wearing something that hid his appearance quite well.

Covering his torso was a simple black hoodie with a face mask. From the waist down he had on gray cargo pants and a pair of combat boots. He even managed to find a pair of gloves that fit him.

Giving himself a once over he nodded and walked to the cashier. The cashier was manned by a girl that seemed to be too absorbed in her phone to notice him. She DID notice when Stevens shadow loomed over her and when she looked up her eyes widened in terror. Leaning forward a little Steven brought out his wallet, which he somehow didn't lose, and went through it.

Steven:"How much for these clothes I'm wearing?"

The only response he got was the girl screaming bloody murder and running off into the backroom. Steven stared blankly before sighing and pocketing his wallet, obviously hurt by the girls response. He proceeded to walk to the front door and before he left he pulled his hood over his head.

...

Steven walked down the streets aimlessly with no destination in mind. He was thankful that none of the people that passed him by scream and ran away. The clothes he took really helped him hide his appearance from everyone around him, allowing him to blend in a little. He did get some strange looks here and there but no one really approach him. Though a group of teens did approach him and tried to attack him but they ran away screaming when they saw his face.

In time he found himself back in the residential area of the city. Looking at the various houses he passes he could see family's having fun through the windows. The sight of this caused an ache in his chest and Steven couldn't help feel envious of them all. Before long he soon ended up in front of a familiar green house. He stood there, staring at the house debating on what he should do.

He could walk up to the door and knock on it... or just leave. He didn't want a repeat of what happened with his father but he was running out of options. With a sigh he went to the door and knocked.

Minutes pass and nobody answered. Just as he was about to knock again the door opened. There standing in front of him was a tired looking Vidalia in her pajamas. She tiredly looked at Steven for a good minute before her eyes widened.

Steven:"Hello?"

She took a step back at the sound of his voice. This caused the ache to return a little but he simple ignored it.

Steven:"I'm sorry for bothering you Vidalia but is it alright if I stay the night?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly and Steven couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

Vidalia:"How do you know my name?"

Steven:"*Nervous* Cause it's me... Steven"

Her eyes widened in shock at this revelation. Steven began to worry that she will do what his father did and attack him. It didn't take long for her to get out of her stupor and eyed him suspiciously.

Vidalia:"*Cautious* I don't remember you being this tall, let alone built like a steroid junky"

Steven:"What are steroids?"

That sent her through another stupor but she quickly composed herself.

Vidalia:"Not the point. I need proof that you are who you claim to be"

Steven started recalling anything that might help proof its really him. He remembers the time when Onion stole his Ranger Guy and tricked him into giving him that duplicating device, though he's not a hundred percent sure if that will help.

Running out of options he decides that maybe showing his gem will proof its him. Reaching down he gripped the bottom of his hoodie and pulled it up to reveal his gem.

Steven:"Do you know anyone else with this gem?"

The sight of the gem caused her breath to hitch and she covered her mouth with her hands. Eyes wide she looked from the gem to Stevens face and tried to wrap her head around this.

Vidalia:"I-Impossible"

Reaching out with one hand she lightly touched the gem. It felt to real to be fake and that just made things harder for her. Looking up she could see the sadness in his eyes and her heart retched.

Vidalia:"What has happened to you Steven?"

Steven:"*Dejectedly* A lot..."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.

Vidalia:"Lets get inside and you can explain it all to me"

Steven let Vidalia pull him inside with no resistance. He ducked his head under the door way and closed it behind him. She lead him to the living room and runs to grab a towel so he could dry before she had him sit on the couch. Steven watched as she left the room for a minute before coming back with drinks. After handing him one she took a sip of hers before speaking.

Vidalia:"Please explain to me how you became... this"

And so he did. He spent the next hour retelling the events that lead up to his new appearance. He told of how he and the gems went to some ancient facility in search of a device. When he told her of the gem monsters they had to face she started questioning why he was even there to begin with. His response was that he had managed to somewhat get his shield to work and that that was the only reason he was allowed to come. Then he spoke of when they found the device and how turrets popped out of nowhere and started shooting at them.

All this information made her start questioning if the gems should really be Stevens caretakers or not. Steven continued telling of how he managed to get to the device only for said thing to stare right at him before exploding and him waking up changed forever. Then he spoke about the part where the gems were hunting him down and tried to kill him before falling off a cliff and into a raging river.

When he finished he broke down into tears as he still couldn't get over the fact that the ones he considered family would attack him without hesitation. He then felt a pair of arms wrap around him and looking down he saw that Vidalia was hugging him. She then started rubbing his back and cooing to him.

Vidalia:"Shh... its okay Steven, let it all out"

He returned the hug and cried on her shoulder. He didn't know how much time has passed but he didn't care, all that mattered to him was the warmth and comfort Vidalia was giving him. This made him wonder if this is what it feels like to have a mother since he never had one before.

Before long they separated and Steven lets out a yawn, showing off his two rows of teeth.

Vidalia:"*Chuckles* Sounds like someones tired"

He tried to say no but all that came out was another yawn.

Vidalia:"Stay here while I go get you some pillows and blankets"

She quickly left the room, leaving Steven alone to wait. When she came back she had three pillows and two blanks under her arm. She handed them to Steven and he got to work on setting up his makeshift bed. Once done he laid down and pulled the blankets over himself.

Vidalia:"If you need anything just holler alright?"

Steven:"*Yawns* Okay"

Vidalia leaned down and kissed Steven on the forehead.

Vidalia:"Goodnight Steven"

Steven:"Good... night"

And like that he was out.


	4. Chapter 4 Confrontations

Normal POV.

As night became day Steven awoke from his slumber. He sat up on the couch and stretched with a yawn. Once done he took a look at his surroundings. At first he was confused as to why he was in a house but then the memories of last night flooded his mind. He couldn't help but smile at the memory of how nice Vidalia was being to him, even in the state that he is now.

Getting up from the couch Steven was about go and search for her when he heard something. Curious he began searching for the source of the nose and soon ended up in the kitchen. There he spotted Vidalia at the kitchen stove trying to get it to work.

Steven:"Morning "

Vidalia jumped a little at the sudden noise but composed herself and greeted Steven.

Vidalia:"Morning Steven, how was your sleep?"

Steven:"*Shrugs* Not all that bad really"

Vidalia:"*Smiles* Glad to hear"

She focused back on the stove as Steven took a seat at the kitchen table. The chair groaned under Stevens weight and squeaked as he adjusted himself. It was at this moment that a half awake Sourcream stumble into the kitchen, completely oblivious to his surroundings.

Sourcream:"*Yawn* Morning mom"

Vidalia:"Morning sweetie"

The young DJ took a seat at the table, still oblivious to the other occupant. When he rubbed the sleep from his eyes did he finally notice Steven. There was a long moment of silence as the two stared at each other before Sourcream shrugged.

Sourcream:"Whatever"

And like that things continued normal, or as normally as it can be. Vidalia had finally managed to get stove to work and began making breakfast. As she cooked Sourcream started asking Steven about his new look.

Steven:"I don't want to talk about it"

Sourcream:"Well can you at least give me a hint?"

Steven:"*Sighs* I went on a mission and the end result is my new look"

Sourcream:"Oh...sorry I asked"

Steven didn't reply instead choosing to remain silent. It was at this time that Vidalia came over and placed a plate of eggs and bacon on the table.

Vidalia:"Alright you three eat up"

Steven:"Three? It's just me and Sourcream sitting at the table"

Vidalia simple pointed to the seat next to Sourcream. There sat Onion, staring at them all with his blank look.

Steven:"...Didn't even notice him..."

His stomach then let out a growl to let Steven know it wants food. Not one to ignore his own stomach he began to eat the offered food.

Breakfast was relatively quiet with some small talk here and there but nothing worth mentioning. Though for some reason Steven felt a bit wary of Onion, and swears that he saw a strange glint in the child's eyes.

Once breakfast was over Steven got up and pulled up his hoodie and face mask before making his way to the door. Just as he opened the door he was stopped by Vidalia moving in his way.

Vidalia:"And just where do you think your heading off to young man?"

He hesitated for a moment before replying.

Steven:"The temple"

Vidalia:"*Scowls* Why are you going to the place that's home to the ones that will be more then happy to attack you?"

Steven:"*Sighs* Cause there are some things I wish to grab, personal items that I...treasure"

That last bit got Vidalia to waver a little bit and after some thought moved out of his way. Just as he took a step through the door she told him one last thing.

Vidalia:"Please call if anything bad happens. I don't want an innocent child like you getting hurt"

He turned and looked at her for a moment before nodding.

Steven:"I promise"

With that he was gone.

...

Though it had stopped raining the sky was still full of gray clouds. Steven had just exited the residential area of Beach City as he pondered if it was gonna rain again. As he walked he began noticing that people were staring at him. Even though his whole body was covered and had his face mask up people still gave him fearful looks. Deciding to lay low for a bit he quickly ducked into a nearby alley and continued moving from there.

After a while of ducking between alleys Steven soon found himself at the city's namesake. Even with the gray clouds in the sky he still found the site of the beach calming to him. He then spotted the temple on the far side of the beach and his mood soured. Deciding to just get this over with he began his trek over to it.

He only made it to the front of the donut shop when his stomach growled.

Steven:"*Incredulous* Seriously, I just ate not to long ago?!"

The stomach growled again in reply.

Steven:"You can hold off until later"

The stomach did not like that and made its displeasure known by roaring and causing him stomach pain.

Steven:"Argh! Fine we'll go and eat something real quick!"

The stomach rumbled in satisfaction.

Walking into the donut shop Steven spotted both Sadie and Lars at the counter. They were too occupied to notice his approach and only did when he stood right in front of them. The two stared wide eyed at Steven as he towered over them and lowered his face mask.

Sadie:"H-Hello sir, what c-can I get for y-you today?"

The obvious fear she and Lars showed hurt his feelings but let it slide since nothing could be done about it. Taking a look at the options Steven decided to try something a little different from what he usually gets.

Steven:"I'll have 3 jelly donut with glaze and sprinkles on it. Can I also get 2 chocolate donuts as well?"

Sadie nodded and motioned to Lars to get the requested goods. Steven swore he has never seen the teen move so fast in his life, grabbing a bag and the donuts he requested in under 30 seconds. Seeing the bag presented to him he pulled out his wallet and began pulling out some cash.

Steven:"So how much do I owe you?"

Lars:"*Panicking* It's free!"

Steven:"Hm?"

Sadie:"What he said! It's all on the house for...being our new customer!"

Steven:"But I'm okay with paying for my-"

Lars:"Just take the stupid donuts and leave already!"

That little outburst had Steven take a step back in surprise. Sadie was also surprised but that quickly changed to fear and anger.

Sadie:"Lars you don't shout at customers!"

She then quickly turns to Steven.

Sadie:"I'm very sorry about my coworkers outburst sir"

Lars:"Well I'm sorry if I want the steroid junky to just leave!"

That got the short girls attention again.

Sadie:"Steroid junky!?"

Lars:"Well ya, how else is this freak so huge!"

Sadie:"Maybe he just works out a lot!"

Lars:"Oh sure he dose and what about his face?! That's a look only a mother could love, hell I'm not even sure if his own mother can stand him!"

Sadie:"*Gasp* Lars you don't say things like-"

*Growling*

It was at that moment the two realized that their customer was still here. Slowly turning their heads they gaze upon the look of utter furry on Stevens face. Before either of them could react Steven reached out and grasped Lars's shirt collar. A second later he was pulled over the counter and brought to Stevens face.

Steven:"*Snarls* Care to repeat that"

Lars gulped and tremble in fear as Steven bore a hole into him with his piercing gaze. Then in a act of courage (or stupidity take your pick), Lars steeled himself and glared at the corrupted hybrid.

Lars:"*Sneers* I said your an ugly freak who's mother doesn't even love him"

Those were some VERY poor choice of words, especially with who their directed towards. In the blink of an eye Lars found himself smash into the counter. The amount of force used had his body go through the counter with ease. Lars didn't even have a chance to process this before being plucked up again and this time sent flying through the one of the glass windows/walls.

As this all happened Sadie just watched from behind the now destroyed counter. She was very worried about Lars but knew she could do nothing to help against this titan of a man. Said man started to look horrified by what just happened and that made Sadie curious.

From the other side of the now broken window/wall Lars slowly got up. As he got to his feet both Steven and Sadie could see how hurt he is. His head was bleeding down his face which had multiple cuts and bit of glass imbedded in it. His back was cut up, presumably from being smashed through a counter top and had small glass shards sticking out of it. He made eye contact with Steven before running off as fast as he can, leaving Sadie behind.

Once gone Steven looked down at his clawed hands in horror at what he's just done. To caught up in his own turmoil he did not notice Sadies approach. Despite everything that's happened Sadie couldn't help but feel a familiarity about the guy, even though he just brutalized Lars. When she was close enough she reached out with a hand and spoke.

Sadie:"Who are you?"

The sudden voice causes Steven to jump a little. Whipping his head around he stared at the frightened but curious girl. Deciding to test his luck he told her his name.

Steven:"I'm Steven"

Sadie:"Huh, you have the same name as this kid that comes in every now and again. Always so energetic and full of live, makes me a little envious of him"

That extra bit makes Steven blush a little in embarrassment.

Steven:"*Whines* Sadie!"

At his whine Sadie gives him a guarded look.

Sadie:"How do you know my name, I don't remember telling you it?"

Steven:"*Nervous* Well like I said I'm Steven...the Steven you already know"

He watches as her eyes widen in disbelief and he prays this turns out okay. After a few moments of her processing this she gives him a hard look.

Sadie:"If your really the fun loving Steven I know, then tell me something only he would know"

Stevens mind raced as he tried to remember anything that he use to prove its really him. He recounted all the times he's hanged with Sadie but none of them seemed good enough. Then he remembered the time he, Sadie, Lars, and Renaldo had that movie night at the lighthouse. He shivered a little as he recalled how the lighthouse tried to kill them.

Steven:"Well what about the time you, me, and Lars went to the lighthouse to watch scary movies with Ronaldo? I remember how Ronaldo almost sacrificed Lars to be eaten by the lighthouse. Then finding out that it was actually a gem that wanted payback on Lars for hurting it in the past"

Once finished he gaged Sadies reaction and was a little stunned by what he sees. Her eyes are widened and tears are streaming down her face. Then, before he could even blink, wraps her arms around him in a tight hug.

Sadie:"What happened to you?!"

Steven was honestly caught off guard by this, not expecting this at all. He hesitantly kneels down and returns the hug before retelling his tale.

As he retold the events that lead up to his new appearance Sadie gave him her undivided attention. As the tale progressed her expression slowly changed from that of sadness to that of curiosity when he got to part about the ancient gem facility. When he got to the part where they attack him she immediately made her displeasure of it known.

Sadie:"They attacked you!? They didn't even try to see if it was actually you and instead immediately assaulted you!"

The amount of anger she was showing made Steven a little worried.

Sadie:"When I get my hands on them I'll-"

Her ranting was put to a stop by Steven chuckling. This confused the girl and made that known to him.

Sadie:"What's so funny?"

Steven:"*Chuckles* It just that, I never realized how much you care about me"

Sadie:"*Blushes* Of course I care! No child should have to go through what you did"

Steven:"*Downcast* I don't exactly look like a child anymore"

Sadie reached up and cupped Stevens armored face while giving him a stern glare.

Sadie:"Even with this new look your still a child. You shouldn't even have to go through any of this!"

All Steven could do was give her a sad look for her concern.

Steven:"There's no changing what's already been done so why dwell on it?"

He then started to chuckle before it turned into full blown laughter. Sadie watched on in concern, not knowing why he's laughing. After a few moments his laughs died down into chuckles.

Steven:"*Chuckles* I came here looking to get some donuts, look how quickly that changed"

That got a snort out of Sadie and he grinned. That grin didn't stay long as he sighs and stands up.

Steven:"I should be going. There are some things I need to do"

Sadie frowned at him but still nodded. Steven grabbed his bag of donuts and went for the door. As he walk away from the donut shop he heard Sadie call out to him.

Sadie:"If you ever need someone to talk to, you know where to find me!"

He turned back to her and gave a thumbs up before continuing his journey.

...

Here he was, standing in front of the very place he called home. He stared at the beach house uncertainly while taking a bite out of a donut. It looked as if no one was home, which made things easier for him.

Walking up the steps and to the door he hesitantly reached for the handle. Very slowly he pulled the door open and peeked his head inside.

It seems that all the lights were off and thankfully there was no signs of anyone being home. Slowly he enters into the house and closing the screen door behind him. Walking through his home he couldn't help but feel both happy and Sad. Happy that he was home once more and sad that he won't be able to stay long.

Setting down his donut bag on the kitchen counter he made his way to his room. It looked as though he never left with everything still there. Looking around he spotted his favorite stuffed animal and picked it up. He gazed upon his oldest and most prized possession with a small smile. Pocketing the toy he then proceeded to search for more items he wished to take with him.

Not finding anything else worth taking with him he proceeded to the bathroom. There wasn't really anything valuable to him in here but decided to take the first aid kit that was there. With nothing else he wanted to take he left the bathroom and went straight for the door. He had only just reached the end of the hallway, that connected the bathroom and living room together, when the warp pad went off. Quickly taking cover against the wall he peered out and saw that the gems had returned.

Pearl:"We should go back out there and search for that beast!"

Steven winced at being called a beast.

Garnet:"And we will, but it won't mean anything if we're too exhausted to put a fight. Right now we should rest and recuperate before heading back out"

Pearl looked ready to argue some more when Amethyst rushed past her.

Amethyst;"Ah nice some donuts!"

The purple gem delved into Stevens donuts, unaware of him watching.

Pearl:"Wait...I f don't remember that being there before"

Steven took this as his cue to slowly retreat to the bathroom.

Garnet:"Your right...someone's been here"

Steven slowly opened the door and slipped inside. Once in he quickly looked around for a place to hide. He kinda wished there was a window for him slip out of at this moment. His eyes soon landed on the tub and he quickly went over to it. Pulling back the curtains as quietly as possible he slipped into the tub and curled up in a fetal position. As he laid there he could still here what the gems were saying in the living room.

Amethyst:"Maybe Connie came over and left these donuts for Steven?"

Pearl:"Not likely. She usually calls first before coming over"

Amethyst pulls out a donut from the bag and takes a bite out of it.

Amethyst:"Their still warm"

Garnet:"Then that means whoever brought them could still be here. Search the house"

Steven could hear his heart beating in his chest as he hears the gems moving about. He pulls out his stuffed animal and hugs it as if it's a lifeline. The sound of footsteps started getting closer and he began to shake.

Pearl:"I don't remember the bathroom light being on when we left"

Steven silently cursed himself for not turning it off when coming back in here. The sound of more footsteps getting closer was starting to get to Steven as he swore they were all outside the door. He wasn't wrong as the door opened and the three gems walked in. Steven is praying that they don't find him but fate had other plans. Before he could even blink the curtains were pulled back and the gems stare at him. The gems stare wide eyed at him as he gives a weak smile.

Steven:"Uh hi?

...

Steven bolted out of the bathroom with the gems hot on his heels. He had just made it to the living room when Amethyst wrapped her whip around his right leg, tripping him in the process.

Amethyst:"Gotcha!"

Her little victory was short lived as Steven used his superior strength to tear the whip off. He then proceeded to grab ahold of the bit Amethyst was still holding and swung her across the room. In a matter of seconds the purple gem found herself smashed into the kitchen cabinets.

With her out of the way Steven focused on the two remaining gems. He quickly raised his left arm to block a punch from Garnet and was soon blocking an onslaught of punches. Though the assault was vicious it lacked the necessary strength to actually do any significant damage. Steven soon spotted an opening and went in for the attack, only to realize to late that it was a feint and was immediately hit hard on the side of his face.

Garnet had put a lot into that one blow hoping to end this quickly. She was completely unprepared for the fact that her blow looked to have barely done anything. A small sense of fear filled her as Steven slowly turned his head to her and glared with slitted pupils. Before she could react he slammed his right arm into with far greater force then her own attacks. She sailed through the air and was soon imbedded in the stone wall near the temple door.

With Garnet immobilized for the moment Steven focused his attention on the last gem standing, Pearl. The skinny gem pointed her spear at him and seemed to be trembling, weather it was from fear or something else was unknown.

Pearl:"What have done with her?!"

Steven:"*Confused* Who's her?"

Pearl:"Rose! What have you done with MY ROSE!?"

This hurt Steven inside as it seems Pearl only cares about his mother and not him. Not wanting to be mistaken by his thoughts he questioned Pearl.

Steven:"And what about the boy? Do you care about what might have happened to him or is it only about this 'Rose' women?"

Pearl:"I just want MY ROSE BACK! That human brat and his father took her away from me. They stole her love from me, so they can die for all I care!"

That caused something within Steven to snap as he rushed at the gem with a roar. Pearl was not fast enough, let alone strong enough to counter his charge as Steven slammed into her. She went flying, quite similar to Garnet and collided with the wooden wall next to the screen door. Pearl slumped to the floor disoriented and Steven stalked over to her, growling along the way. He was soon standing over her and for a moment he just stared, unblinking, before reaching down and grasping her neck. Raising her into the air Steven watches as she claws at his arm in a failed attempt to free herself.

Steven:"*Growls* Is that all you care about, just mom and no one else?"

Pearl stopped her struggles and looks at him in confusion.

Pearl:"Mom?"

Steven:"Yes mom, my mother Rose Quartz!"

Pearl:"Impossible! The only child she ever had was-"

Steven:"Me, Steven Quartz Universe!"

Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates at this revelation. By now Garnet and Amethyst had managed to free themselves from their predicaments and had heard everything. Amethyst gasped and Garnet stiffened as they realize that the one they've been hunting for and attacking was actually Steven. Before anything else could be said everything started to shake.

A sort of green light peered through the windows and the shaking started getting worse. Steven then drops Pearl and walks outside to see what's going on. He upon the beach and see the cause for the shaking and green light.

A giant green fist.


	5. Chapter 5 Breakout

Stevens Pov.

I stare at the giant green fist that is on the beach wondering how the hell did it get here. As the gems join me the fist extended it's fingers and a green orb appeared on its palm. The orb proceeded to roll down to the pointer finger before opening, revealing its two occupants. The one to the left looks exactly like the green gem I saw back in the kindergarten. The other one is a beefy orange/yellow colored person that is as big as me and Garnet with their gem replacing the nose.

The green gem soon spots me and starts shaking in fear.

Peridot:"T-that's the thing I saw back in the kindergarten"

The big gem looks at me with disgust in her eyes.

?:"That's the scary thing you saw?"

Peridot:"Jasper that thing is dangerous, it destroyed the on-site equipment. It's not something you should take lightly"

The now named Jasper gives me a once over before looking at the others.

Jasper:"Looks like another waste of my time to me"

I watch as she then reaches behind herself.

Jasper:"Hey get over here"

And yanks out a familiar blue gem.

"*Surprised* Lapis?!"

Jasper points at the temple.

Jasper:"This is the base you were talking about?"

Lapis:"*Hesitant* Yes, it is"

I then see Garnet step forward.

Garnet:"You need to leave, immediately!"

The other two quickly join her.

Amethyst:"Ya step off!"

Pearl:"This is not a gem controlled planet!"

I then spot the three gems jump off the finger they were on.

Jasper:"Neither of you saw Rose Quarts. Oh what a shame, I had hoped to meet her. I was looking forward to beating her into the ground!"

I was a little put off by her hostility towards my mom.

Jasper:"*Incredulous* Is this all that's left of her army? Some lost defective pearl, a puny overcooked runt, and this shameless display"

She then gives me a weird look.

Jasper:"What is that?"

Peridot:"It calls itself the Steven"

Lapises eyes widened.

Lapis:"S-Steven?!"

Jasper looks at her.

Jasper:"You know this thing?"

Lapis:"*Nods* Yes, he was the human that freed me"

Peridot perked up at this.

Peridot:"That thing was a human?!"

Lapis:"*Nods* He was a cute little human, but I don't know what could have caused him to become this"

I saw the fear in Peridots eyes disappear and was replaced with a twinkle of something I didn't like.

Peridot:"Fascinating. Hey Jasper when we're done here you wouldn't mind if I take that 'human' back for study?"

Jasper:"You can have have whatever's left AFTER you blast them with the ship"

Peridot:"*Groans* Fine"

With that she presses a few things on her holo pad and the giant green hand starts to make a finger gun. An orb of energy appears at the tip as it prepares to fire.

Garnet turns to me.

Garnet:"Steven get out of here!"

"No!"

Garnet:"I won't let you risk your life!"

"I'm not leaving you guys!"

My gem begins to glow.

"I still have unfinished business with you three so you ain't dying on me just yet!"

I run in front of them, planing on shielding them from the blast.

Peridot:"Firing"

The hand fired a beam at me and the gems.

*BOOM, CLANG*

Jasper Turns around in a instant with wide eyes.

...

Normal Pov.

As the smoke clears Steven is seen standing there, arms spread out, cloths torn apart, and with a new look.

He was an extra two feet tall and was even more bulky then before. The armor had changed and now seems to be covering everything but the joints, leaving little flesh exposed. The thorny vines covering him seem to be bigger as well with far more pointy thorns that look to hurt a lot if touched. His head and face was just as armored as the rest of his body with the addition of his sharp teeth being exposed.

Jasper:"What are you?"

Peridot looks on in amazement.

Peridot:"Incredible, he survived a direct hit from a blast that should have obliterated him!?"

Jasper turns to Peridot.

Jasper:"Fire barrage, wide spread!"

Before Peridot could do that the two heard growling. They turned to see Steven take a deep breath and roared.

**Steven:"RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"**

He charges straight towards them like a mad bull. It only took him a few seconds to close the distance between them. Jasper tried to stop his charge but was simply backhanded away and sent flying from the brute strength.

At this point Peridot was shaking in fear as Steven stood right in front of her, towering over her. He reached out a clawed hand to grab her when Jasper came back in a crash helmet, tackling Steven to the ground.

Jasper:"*Exited* I haven't had this much fun since the war!"

Jasper gets a few good hits in before thrown off by Garnet.

Garnet:"Leave him alone!"

Jasper sneers and brings out some strange weapon.

Jasper:"Priming gem destabilizer"

Jasper then stabs Garnet with said weapon and Garnet starts to fall apart before poofing. Jasper then turns back to Steven with a grin.

Jasper:"*Grins* Now that she's taken care of, lets get back at it"

**Steven:"Ggggrrrr!"**

With that they charged at each other and began fighting once more.

While that was happening Pearl and Amethyst were coming up with a plan.

Pear:"While Steven is distracting Jasper we sneak up on Peridot and poof her."

Amethyst:"What about Lapis?"

Pearl just looks at her.

Pearl:"If she gets in the way poof her"

Now having a plan they began making their way over, occasionally checking on the fight. They were just a few feet away then Lapis gasps causing Peridot to turn around and spot them. They tried to rush her but she had a gem destabilizer in hand which resulted in them getting poofed.

Now the fight between Steven and Jasper doesn't seem to be going well for Quartz. Stevens armor was taking most, if not all the damage she dealt and his strength was superior to hers. Jasper realized that she can't win a fair fight against him so she came up with a plan.

Jasper:"Peridot when I say NOW you fire the ship at this thing!"

Peridot:"Got it!"

Jasper tried to get some distance from Steven but he was just too fast. In a last ditch effort she grabbed him and chucked him a good ten feet away.

Jasper:"NOW!"

Peridot proceeded to fire at Steven with the ship repeatedly. Shot after shot hit Steven head on and he roared in agony every time. After the 12th shot she stopped firing and waited for any signs of movement in the sand cloud. Slowly she sees Steven limps out looking terrible.

What remained of his cloths were completely obliterated and almost all of his armor was broken. He bleed profusely from his wounds with some wounds looking worse then others.

After a moment his armor changes back to what it was before as he shrinks back down. He makes it another three feet before collapsing and passing out.

Peridot:"Is it dead?"

Jasper walks over and flips him before bringing her head to his chest. She listens and hears the thump of his heart.

Jasper:"It's still alive. I'll bring it aboard, you get the rest of the gems"

With that Jasper picks up Steven and makes her way to the ship while Peridot gets the crystal gems. Before entering the ship however she stops and turns to Lapis.

Jasper:"You and I are going to have a 'talk' later"

Lapis simple nods as Jasper walks into the ship.

Lapis:"Steven what happened to you?"

**...**

Stevens Pov.

As I slowly regained consciousness I looked around wondering where I am. I then notice that I'm in some kind of cell with some sort of yellow energy field. I tried to get up but as I did everything started to hurt so much, fighting through the pain I stand up and make my way to the energy field.

Once I was closer to it I decided to reach out a hand and see if anything happens. As soon as I pressed my hand to the field a strange tingly feeling ran through my body. I pressed my hand against the field a bit more and accidentally stuck my arm through. My first instinct was to panic but then I realized that nothing bad was happening. Taking a chance I stuck my other arm through before deciding to just Walk through it. I ran into a little resistance when trying to get my whole body through the field but did succeed all the same.

Finding myself in some hallway I look the left only to see a dead end so I head right. As I was going down the hall I stopped at another cell. Peering inside I spot a small red gem stomping around inside having a tantrum.

**"Stomping around in your cell's gonna do you much"**

The gem freaks out for second then spots me. She then proceeds to get even more angry and hit the wall.

?:"Great, this is just perfect!"

**"Need any help getting out of there shorty?"**

?:"NO! I mean yes, I mean-don't look at me, just go away!"

Shrugging I begin walking away from the cell when she calls out to me.

?:"Hey wait! Your out, how did you get past the field?"

**"Oh, I just did this"**

I reached a hand and she starts to freaks as my hand got closer. She shouts got me to stop but is silent when my hand sticks through the field harmlessly.

?:"It's safe?"

She then tries touching the field and get shocked by it.

?:"OW! What's going on?"

We then start to hear singing in the distance. I look around, trying to figure out were it's coming from.

**"Somebody's singing"**

?:"Sapphire"

I then see the little gem turn to me with a desperate look on her face.

?:"Let me out of here! Please, I need to fined Sapphire!"

**"Is she your friend? I'm looking for my friends to"**

She then starts panicking.

?:"She's all alone, I need to find her!"

I give her a grin.

**"Don't worry I'll get you out"**

I stuck my arm back into the field and made a small gap big enough for the gem too fit through.

**"Move it"**

She didn't need to be told twice as she slid through the gap I made and was already running down the hall.

**"Hey, wait for me!"**

It wasn't that difficult for me to catch-up with her and soon we were running around the ship together.

**"How many more gems do you think are trapped here?"**

?:"Don't know, don't care"

We soon stop at a window that's giving us a view of the planet below.

?:"*Worried* She's stopped singing, Sapphire!"

She ran off again but I decided to stayed at the window for a few moments longer, admiring the view before catching up with the gem. We ran for a while before coming across another cell that had a familiar blue gem inside.

?:"Huh! Oh it's just you"

**"Lapis!"**

Lapis turns to look at us.

Lapis:"S-Steven is that really you?"

I am relieved to see that she's okay.

**"Don't worry Lapis I can get you"**

I reach out to make a gap in the field but she shouts at me.

Lapis:"Stop!"

**"It's OK I can-"**

Lapis:"No I don't want your help! Things are bad enough as it is. I already made too much trouble, once we get back to Homeworld there going to decide what to do with us"

This seems to frustrate the red gem.

?:"I don't have time for this!"

The gem runs of without me.

**"Wait! Where are you going?!"**

Lapis:"Steven whatever your doing just stop. If we do everything they say they might go easy on us. They might even have a way to fix you."

**"Lapis they shot at me with their ship and then imprisoned!"**

Lapis:"That's why we can't fight them!"

**"Backing down is not an option for me"**

Lapis just turns away from me and curls herself into a ball.

**"I'll come back for you, I promise"**

I started running down the halls trying to find that red gem I freed when start hearing the singing again. I follow the singing and as I got closer to the source I start to hear foot steps not too far away so I hide. Latching onto the ceiling with my claws I wait and seconds later I see Jasper and Peridot coming down the adjacent hall.

Peridot:"We can't leave yet. The hole point of coming here was to check on the cluster!"

I see Jasper hit the wall next to a cell that had a short blue gem inside.

Jasper:"Stop singing! These crystal gems take priority and that thing we brought aboard could wake up any minute now. So get back too the bridge and set a course for Homeworld!"

With that they went there separate ways with Peridot muttering as she left.

Peridot:"*Mutters* Go to Earth they said, it'll be easy they said"

When she was gone I dropped down and walked too the cell to get a good look at the gem responsible for singing.

**"So your the one who was singing and I take it your name is Sapphire?"**

Sapphire:"*Nods* Yes and you escaped"

I reach out and make a gap for her too exit through.

**"You coming?"**

Sapphire:"Of course"

She walks through the gap I made.

Sapphire:"Thank you Steven"

**"Your welcome, wait how do you know my name?"**

Before she could respond we hear the shouts of the red gem off in the distance.

?:"Sapphire!"

The small blue gem grabs me.

Sapphire:"Come on"

She then proceeds to drag me across the ship before stopping at a corridor that connected to a intersection and we spot the red gem.

Sapphire:"Ruby!"

The two reunite in a loving hug.

Ruby:"Did they hurt you?"

Sapphire:"No no I'm OK, did they hurt you?"

Ruby:"Who cares!"

Sapphire:"I do!"

Sapphire then kissed Ruby which lead to a little dance that ended with them fusing into Garnet.

Garnet:"Ha ha ha, Steven! Thank you"

**"Wait you were a fusion this whole time?!"**

Garnet:"Oh I'm sorry, we didn't want you meeting us here like this"

**"We can have proper introductions later, right now we need to find the others"**

Before she could reply shouting could be heard not too far away.

Jasper:"Where is she!"

Garnet:"Jasper. Steven fine the others without me and when you do head too the control bridge"

**"I don't exactly know where they are?"**

She just smiles and plants a kiss on my forehead. I saw a vision of where Amethyst and Pearl were being held.

**"*Chuckles* Guess that answers that. Are you going to be able to beat her on your own?"**

Garnet:"Oh Steven, I'm never alone"

Taking that as my cue I run off to get Amethyst and Pearl, leaving Garnet to face Jasper.

After getting the two we head too the control room and see Peridot. She didn't stand a chance as she was quickly restrained and Pearl took control of the ship. This didn't last long as the ship starts shaking violently and Garnet comes rushing in.

Garnet:"This ship's going down!"

My eyes widen at this and I remember that Lapis was still trapped in her cell.

**"Oh no, Lapis!"**

I rush out of the control room and ran as fast as I could too Lapis's cell. I had just about reached her cell when the ship shook again and started to fall apart.

**"Lapis!"**

She turns and sees me along with the corridor falling apart.

Lapis:"Steven what are you doing here, you need to get to an escape pod!"

**"I promised to come back for you, and I plan to keep it!"**

Lapis appeared to be touched by what I said.

Lapis:"You really care about me, don't you"

**"Of course I care, I wouldn't be here if I didn't!"**

I had reached here cell and made gap big enough for her. Then I reached in with my free hand and pulled her out and into an embrace.

**"You don't need be afraid anymore, I'll protect you"**

Lapis breaks down crying in my arms as I pick her up bridal style and make my way down the corridor. When we made it back I saw the gems were panicking as the ship got closer to Earth. I look around and notice that I couldn't fined Peridot.

**"Where's Peridot?"**

Pearl:"She got away when you ran out to get Lapis, but that's not important! This ships going down and we have nothing to protect us from the landing!?"

Amethyst:"Hey Steven why don't you try summoning a bubble to shield us"

**"I'll try but I make no guarantees"**

Closing my eyes I reach out for that familiar feeling I feel when making my bubbles. I soon find what I'm looking for and latch onto it. Gasps rang out from the gems so I open my eyes to see what has them surprised. What I find is that my bubble was the reason. The bubble appearance was more plate like instead of the round surface it was commonly known for.

**"*Surprised* Well that's new"**

The ship shook violently again and we all braced ourselves inside the bubble as we came closer and closer to Earths surface. I hold onto Lapis as tightly as I could, not wanting to risk losing her.

**...**

Normal POV.

Debris from the crash laid strewn about on the beach with a few fires here and there. One of the piles of debris started to shake before being shoved aside by a familiar bubble. Once the rubble around it was cleared the bubble dropped, revealing its occupants inside.

The crystal gems looked a bit battered but were still in one piece. Steven was mostly unharmed due to his armor and Lapis was the same thanks to him protecting her with his body. Steven looked down at gem in his arms and grinned at her.

**Steven:"Told you I would protect you"**

Lapis:"*Giggles* Oh _my _hero"

They were both soon laughing full heartedly. As they laughed Steven began to notice how close he and Lapis were and blushed. Lapis must of noticed too because her face turned a dark shade of blue.

Sadly the moment was ruined when a pile of rubble nearby moves and Jasper bursts out of it. She glares at them all and slowly starts limping towards them.

Jasper:"Don't think you've won, you only beat me because of your fusion. If I had someone to fuse with I'd-"

Jasper then spots Lapis in my arms and grins wickedly. Steven notices this and pulls her closer to himself.

Jasper:"Lapis listen, fuse with me!"

That caught everyone by surprise, more so Lapis.

Lapis:"What?!"

Jasper:"How long did they keep you trapped here on this miserable hunk of rock! These gems are traitors to Homeworld, they kept you prisoner, they used you. This is your chance to take revenge!"

Lapis looks conflicted but Steven helps reassure her.

**Steven:"Don't listen to her Lapis"**

He looks her in the eyes with determination.

**Steven:"You don't have to be afraid anymore, no one will use you or keep you prisoner any longer. From this day forth you are FREE!"**

Lapis looks at him with tears in her eyes as a huge smile breaks out on her face. She then hugs him with all she had.

Lapis:"Thank you Steven"

He smiles down at here and returns the hug. The moment was once again ruined by Jasper raging.

Jasper:"Lapis you traitor, I'll be sure to bring your shards to Yellow Diamond!"

She began to charge but stopped when she saw Stevens eyes. His pupils had become slits and started to glow. He then started to growl at her as his armor started to shift and change with his body getting bigger.

**"*Growl* LEAVE...NOW"**

After a few moments of staring she turns and ran, never looking back. Once she was gone Steven began to calm down an looked at everyone.

**Steven:"I think we all need a vacation"**

Everyone laughed at that.


	6. Chapter 6 Aftermath

Stevens Pov.

We were still on the beach looking at all the damage the crash had caused. I had just put Lapis down when Pearl spoke up.

Pearl:"That could have gone... a lot worse"

Garnet looks at her.

Garnet:"Could have gone a lot better to"

Then Amethyst started shouting.

Amethyst:"WE WON!"

She then proceeded to do a victorie dance around the group, then dragged Pearl into it. I wasn't paying attention, I was more focused on Lapis making sure she wasn't hurt to badly.

"Are you OK?"

Lapis looks at me.

Lapis:"I'm good... what about you? You went head to head with Jasper, then shot repeatedly by the ship, and then had to shield us during the crash. If anything I should be more worried about you."

I chuckle at that.

"Don't worrie about me, I've survived many near death experiences before"

She gave me a look.

Lapis:"Really"

"Sadly yes"

This made her even more concerned. But before she could speak we hear a noise in the distance. We turned and saw my dads van pull up, causing me to sweat a little.

"Oh no"

Dad got out of the van and walked over. Then he spotted me and stopped.

Dad:"You!"

He looked ready to attack when Garnet stepped in his way.

Dad:"Move Garnet!"

Garnet:"No"

Dad looked at her with a heated glare.

Dad:"What why! That things the one who killed my son!"

Then Pearl Walked over.

Pearl:"Ya... about that"

Dad looked at her.

Pearl:"That _thing_ over there didn't kill your son. In fact that _thing_ is your son"

Dad stood there mouth agape.

Dad:"But you guys said-"

Pearl:"We thought he was killed... but apparently we were wrong. Our mistake Greg"

For a moment he did nothing, then he turned and walked over to me. Once he was in front of me he pulled me into a hug and cried.

Dad:"I-I'm so sorry I attacked you, I didn't k-know it was really y-you. Can you f-forgive your fool of a f-father?"

I stood there for a moment before returning the hug.

"I already have"

We stayed like that for a few minutes before separating. Dad looked me up and down.

Dad:"So this is the new you... man what have they been feeding you"

I laughed at that.

"Just the regular diet every growing boy needs"

After a while we went back to the beach house which surprisingly wasn't damaged.

"How does this place not have a hole in it?"

Amethyst:"Don't know, maybe there's some magic protecting it"

Once we settle in we begin discussing what to do next.

Pearl:"We should first close off the beach until we clear it"

"What about the pieces that landed in town?"

Garnet:"I'll get them while you guys clear the beach"

"But then where are we going to put them?"

Amethyst:"In my room, I've meaning to add something to my junk pile"

We would have continued if not for the knocking on the door. Then we heard a voice I knew all to well.

Connie:"Hello Steven, are you there!"

I started to panic.

"Oh why did she have to come here, now of all times!"

I turn to the others.

"I need a place to hide!"

Garnet walked over to me and put her hand on my shoulder.

Garnet:"Steven relax, there's no need to panic. Connie is your friend and wont judge you based on your new appearance"

I give her a look.

"Tell that to most of the people I've met in the last few days"

The gems flinch at that. At this point the knocking got louder and was starting to hurt my ears so taking a deep breath I walk over and answered the door.

"Yes?"

Connie looked at me wide eyed for a moment before narrowing them[What's with that look?].

Connie:"Where's Steven?"

"Your looking at him"

Connie stood there for a few seconds before laughing. She continued to laugh for five minutes before calming down, all the while I just stood there dumbfounded.

Connie:"Ha ha, very funny. There is no way something as ugly as you is Steven. Now seriously were is he you freak"

I started to growl at her. How dare she insult me like that, someone I thought was my friend. I will not stand for this!

"*Growling* I wasn't joking, it really is me. I've been changed thanks to an accident that happened during one of our resent missions. Also do you really think it's a good idea to insult someone that can easily rip you apart piece by bloody piece?"

At this Connie just looks at me mouth agape before composing herself and looking at the others.

Connie:"Is what this _thing_ saying true?"

That made me even more mad, I really want to tear her in half right now but I controlled myself. Pearl walks over and speaks to Connie.

Pearl:"Yes Connie that really is Steven, and there is no reason to be so rude to him"

Connie just scoffs.

Connie:"Well sorry Pearl but can you really blame me, he looks nothing like his former self!"

Maybe no one will care if I tear off an arm, maybe even a leg. I decided to just go and sit down with Lapis, ignoring Connie and Pearls conversation.

Lapis:"I thought friends were nicer to each other?"

"Ya me to, but I guess were not really friends after all"

I then looked at Garnet.

"I thought you said she wouldn't judge me on my appearance"

Garnet just shrugs her shoulders.

Garnet:"It was a possibility"

I just shake my head at that, can't always rely on future vision. I look over to Connie and Pearl and saw that Connie was leaving which I'm thankful for.

Lapis:"Hey Steven"

"Ya?"

Lapis:"Do you think you can show me around beach city. I really didn't get to see much the last time I was here because well... you know"

Her cheeks start to turn a darker shade of blue and she starts to fidget a little.

Lapis:"B-But you don't have to if you don't w-want to!"

I start to blush a little at this before chuckling.

"Sure why not, it would be fun to properly show you around town"

With that I grab her hand and lead her out of the temple. Before leaving I saw Garnet giving me a thumbs up, which confused me but decided to ignore it.

_*One tour of Beach City later*_

I had just finished showing Lapis around, which was a lot of fun. Sadly most of the shops were damaged by the crash and so were off limits until repaired. I did get some strange looks from people as we passed, thankfully that didn't stop us from having a great time we even ran into the cool kids and hanged for a bit. It was around nine o'clock when we got back to the temple, we then heard shouting inside.

Garnet:"We are not doing that!"

Pearl:"But Garnet he's-"

Garnet:"No Pearl we are not doing that to him, he's been through enough as it is!"

Pearl:"FINE!"

With that Pearl storms off to her room. This is when me and Lapis decide enter the temple.

"What was all that about?"

Garnet looks at me nervously.

Garnet:"You don't need to know. Enough about that, how was your guys _date~~~_"

Me and Lapis blush heavily at this.

"It wasn't a date! I was just showing Lapis around that's all!"

Garnet:"Sure it wasn't. Anyway tomorrow we have a lot of cleaning up to do, so I suggest you get to bed. It's going to be a long weak"

With that Garnet heads to her room. Seeing as its late I head up to my room and lay on my bed, which is slightly to small for me. I was just dosing off when someone shook me. I open my eyes and see Lapis staring at me.

"What?"

Lapis:"How do you _sleep_?"

"You just lay down, get nice and comfortable, close your eyes and think of nothing, then your off to dream land"

Lapis:"If that's the case, can I try sleeping with you?"

I blush at this but see as there's nothing wrong with this I let her.

Lapis lays down right next to me and tries to get comfy but can't for some reason. So thinking fast I pull her closer to me, she seems to become comfortable real quick and is soon fast asleep.

*Whispers*"This isn't half bad"

Soon I'm joining her in the land of dreams.


	7. Chapter 7 From Good To Bad

Normal Pov.

A week has past and Beach City looked somewhat fixed, some buildings were still being worked on but the beach was cleared at least. The process was slow but with so many people volunteering to help, what should have taken all month to do was accomplished in only a week.

We currently see a topless Steven helping with repairs on the roof of the Big Donut.

Steven:"Alright that should do it"

Steven stood up and admiring his work, he spent the last three days helping this team of repairmen fix the shop along with adding the new giant donut sign, which was like before but with a pink frosting color. The "Big Donut" looked good as new. A lot bigger with a nice purple color to go with some of the new things. The new counter that is now red instead of a cream color to go with the new rainbow colored windows. The marble floor now has a dark blue rug with a few donuts designed randomly on it. We painted the walls a forest green with some yellow stars as well. It even has a lounge area inside with a small couch, table, bean bag chairs, jute box, and a TV. All an all it looked to be a good place for teens to hang out at.

Steven:"This place looks a lot better than what it was before"

Repairman 1:"You said it, it might be my sons new spot to hang at with his friends"

Repairman 2:"Mine too"

Repairman 3:"Lets hope this place keeps our kids occupied for most of their free time"

Steven:"I might start coming here a lot more often then I have before"

With that the repairmen begin packing up their equipment while Steven heads into town. As Stevens going through town he sees all the changes that were made to shops that were damaged. Some shops had a few changes while others got completely renovated into something new. Steven had just entered the residential area when saw Lapis.

Steven:"Hey Lapis!"

Lapis turns to him.

Lapis:"Hey Steven!"

Steven walks up to Lapis and notices she's helping a kid get their kite out of a tree.

Steven:"Helping kids I see"

Lapis:"Yup, little Timmy here got his kite caught in a tree"

Lapis: proceeds to fly up the tree and bring down Timmy's kite and hands it to him.

Timmy:"Thank you blue lady!"

Then Timmy runs off with his now freed kite. After that Steven and Lapis get into a conversation on what they have been doing over the week. Some time later Buck walks up to them and speaks.

Buck:"Hey guys"

Steven:"Hey Buck how have you been?"

Buck:"I've been good. Hey I was wondering if you and your lady friend were interested in hanging out with me, Sour Cream, and Jenny later?"

Steven:"Sure I'm down for a night of fun. How about you Lapis, You in?"

Lapis takes a minute before responding.

Lapis:"Sure why not. I don't have anything planned for the rest of the evening"

Buck:"Alright, well meet at the Big Donut at around Six o'clock alright"

Steven:"Well meet you there"

Buck:"Cool, well see you two later"

Buck then runs off. Still having some time before they meet up with the others Steven and Lapis decide to walk around the city for a bit. Lapis begins telling Steven about her life before the war and Steven tells her about his life before the change. Before either of them knew it was time to meet with the others and so made there way to the new and improved Big Donut. Once there they see the three waiting for them.

Jenny:"Hey what took you two so long, we've been waiting for like ten minutes?"

Steven:"Sorry we lost track of time"

Buck:"I see you and your girlfriend were to occupied to notice"

Steven and Lapis both blush at this and look away from each other.

Steven:"She's not my girlfriend"

Jenny:"You sure about that? You two seem like a beautiful couple"

The two continue to blush and try not to look at each other.

Sour Cream:"Alright enough teasing the two, lets hit the road!"

They all hop in the car with Jenny driving with buck in the passenger seat and Steven, Lapis, and Sour Cream in the back. They just cruse around in and out of Beach City with music playing on the radio while talking about recent events. It was night time when they started talking about there problems.

Sour Cream:"I just don't get what's wrong with being a DJ, but my step-dad was all on my case again today saying _rah rah raah rah ruh ruh_. I'm like I just don't want to be a fisherman, everyone knows you can't rave in a raincoat step-dad"

Buck:"At least he only bugs you about one thing. My dad got's to say something about everything I do cause _I'm the mayors son_ and I'm like you can't tell me what to do, I'm the mayors-, Wait"

Jenny:"Ha ha ha, pal-lease your just walking in cake with that talk. You guys don't even know what bad is until you have a sister. Look I don't know why I have to spell it out that I'm the evil twin and she's the good one, don't ask me to help you with your homework I'm at some metal concert"

Lapis:"Reminds me of a certain pair of Topaz's I knew back on "Homeworld"

Steven:"Family stuff is tricky"

The others make sounds of agreements(Besides Lapis for obvious reasons).

Steven:"A few months back my dad and the gems grounded me from TV"

The others say words of acknowledgment.

Steven:"Then I found out the gems are alien rebels and that they're other gems out in space that want us dead cause they think we're traitors, and they tried to take me hostage cause they think I'm my mom, and maybe I kinda am. I wish I could talk to Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl about it but I think they kinda blame me for my mom not being around"

Everyone was wide eyed and silent after, Jenny even turned off the radio. It was a few moments before Jenny spoke.

Jenny:"That's heavy"

Steven:"I guess"

Buck:"But you always seem so upbeat"

Buck pulls his glasses up.

Buck:"Your a real champ Steven Universe"

Steven smiles at that.

Lapis:"I can't believe you have to deal with that Steven"

Sour Cream:"Ya man I'd turn to fishing in a heart beat if it meant not dealing with thaaaaaaaa-THAT!"

The car came to a screeching halt.

Sour Cream:"Look at that!"

Jenny:"What! What did I hit, what is it!"

Sour Cream points in the distance and we see a glowing green light.

Sour Cream:"Gloooooowwwwwing. We got to check it out"

Buck:"I'm down"

Jenny:"Alright, hold on"

They then pull off the road and drive in the direction of the light. They got a little closer in the car before continuing on foot. As they got closer they saw the hay field made the shape of a diamond with a four pointed star in the center.

Sour Cream:"That is as bright as six hundred glow sticks"

They reached the source of the light which was in a hole in the ground. What they saw was a beat-up round green pod with four stubby legs.

Steven:"Is that Peridots escape pod?"

Lapis:"Looks like it"

Sour Cream goes and grabs a big rock then throws it at the pod.

Sour Cream:"Boom!"

Sour Cream, Jenny, and Buck go down into the hole.

Steven:"I don't think this is a good idea, what if Peridot is still in there"

Buck turns to Steven.

Buck:"Peri-who?"

The three then mess with the pod making comments on it every now and again. Steven heads down to make sure the three don't hurt them selves.

Steven:"Guys be careful, this pod could blow up or something"

Jenny:"Relax Steven it's not doing anything"

Steven:"It's not just that, this means that Peridot is out there somewhere, trying to hurt the earth"

Buck:"Not cool. Earth forever"

Buck then kicks the pod while Sour Cream dumps more rocks on it.

Jenny:"Steven come take a selfie with me"

Steven:"I'm serious Jenny"

Jenny:"So am I. Sour Cream what about you?"

Sour Cream:"Sure, I'm down for what ever"

Jenny:"Buck?"

Buck:"Na, I just like to experience the moment for what it is sometimes. Plus the lighting is weird"

Jenny:"Lapis you in?"

Lapis:"Sure I guess"

Jenny:"Steven last call"

Steven is still hesitant.

Jenny:"I have funny stickers"

That did it. The group then proceeded to take many pictures in many poses for a bit before ending it with a group shot.

Jenny:"Ha ha, these are so good!"

Steven:"How do I look?"

Jenny:"You looked great. Steven stay right there I'm gonna take one more*Gasp*"

Jenny looks at Steven with a huge smile.

Jenny:"Steven... get in it"

Steven:"What?"

Jenny:"Just for a second, one picture"

Steven looks at the pod for a moment before smiling and getting in. Steven makes a piece sign for picture then suddenly the pod activates. Halo screens appear and the others are amazed while Lapis looks worried. Steven raises his hands and the pod begins to move. A few seconds later Steven is out of the hole and upside down. He rights himself while the others catch up.

Steven:"I really shouldn't be playing with this. I should take this back to the temple"

Jenny:"What no way, you just got it working"

Buck:"Come on, aren't you your own mom? You can do what ever you want"

Sour Cream:"Ya you got to do some donuts in that thing"

Buck:"At least a dozen. Backers dozen"

Lapis:"I don't know guys, what if something bad happens"

Jenny walks up to Steven.

Jenny:"Seriously Steven, you've been through a lot lately. Don't you think you deserve to have a little fun?"

Steven smiles at that. Steven and the others start to mess around with the pod like ride it, race it against the car, dance in it and many other things.

Jenny:"You really got the hang of that thing"

Steven:"Ha Ha, Ya it always hooks to the left. But I really should get this back to the gems"

Cool Kids:"No!"

Steven:"Right after I jump that haystack!"

Cool Kids:"Ya!"

Steven rushes the pod at the haystack and barely make it over only with a ungraceful landing.

Steven:"I'm okay! It's actually not so bad if you give it a little- "

Steven punches the inside of the pod a few times and caused a black window to come up and the inside starts to light up. The pod hovers in the air and absorbs its legs then releases a shock wave knocking the others off there feet. The inside of the pod begins to fill with this glittery goo, which freaks Steven out but he quickly finds out he's able to breath the stuff. The pod then starts firing lasers, shaking Steven around and causing him to press a button that sends out a flair. The others flee trying not to get hit by a random laser, torpedo, and what ever else was coming out of others hide behind a haystack, which gets blown up.

Lapis:"I told you something bad would happen!"

They hunker down trying not get hit. Lapis fly's up and tries to stop the pod.

Jenny:"Steven! What's going on?!"

Steven:"Guys can you hear me?!"

In the distance we see that Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl have arrived.

Pearl:"I knew it! That flare lead us right to the escape pod!"

Amethyst:"What's going on!"

Cool Kids:"Help!"

Steven:"Garnet,Amethyst,Pearl!"

Pearl:"Well save you humans!"

Pearl then throws a spear that impales the pod, almost hitting Steven. The others stood stunned.

Pearl:"I can't believe it. Peridots still inside"

Garnet:"She's probably weak from the landing. Don't hold back!"

The gems then charge at the pod with Pearl throwing another spear. Amethyst tries to wrap her whip around the pod but is blocked by Lapis, who is pissed.

Lapis:"I won't let you cause anymore damage!"

Pearl:"*Growls*I knew you were a threat, why Steven let you off free and unbubbled is beyond me. But guess well have to fix that"

And so Pearl attacked Lapis. Lapis had the high ground and was wining the fight, but then Amethyst wrapped her whip around Lapis to keep her still and Garnet came in and punched her to the ground. Dazed and weak she wasn't able to dodge the spear aimed at her head.

*Poof*

All that remained was Lapis's gem. Pearl reached out to bubble the gem but stopped when she heard the sound of metal being torn apart. The gems turned and see a pink armored claw sticking out of the pod. Said claw began to tear a large hole in the pod, spilling the weird goop everywhere. Then out came Steven halfway transformed into his bulkier armored form, eyes slitted and glowing brightly, and growling very loudly. All it took was one look and the gems can tell.

He was pissed.

They had fucked up royally.

Steven:"Gggggrrrrrrrr!"

Garnet:"Steven calm down, there's no reason for you to be angry!"

Steven just pointed at Lapis's gem then back at them.

Pearl:"She attacked us! She had to be dealt with!"

That just pissed him off even more. 3/4's of his body was now transformed and he was growing in height.

Amethyst:"Uh Pearl I think you need to watch what you say, cause your just making him madder"

Pearl:"Well I'm sorry! Lapis is a very dangerous gem that can shatter us all, so it's best if we keep her bubbled so we don't have to be worried about her! Besides she was a lot easier to handle when she was in that mirror, maybe we should put her back in it"

Pearl had just dug their graves. Steven now fully transformed into his much bulkier armor attacked.

Steven:"RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Garnet ran up and blocked Steven's attack. The two then started to exchange blows with each other, Steven dealing most of the damage while Garnets barely did a thing. When their right fists connected Steven's destroyed Garnet gauntlet, leaving only her hand. Garnet tried to use her left gauntlet but was to slow and was sent flying across the field. Steven then turned his sights on Pearl an began stalking over but was stopped by Amethyst, who used her whip to try and stop Steven from moving. Steven simply looked at her, then grabbed her whip and yanked her into the air then slam her into the ground HARD. Steven repeated this until Amethyst poofed, which was after the 12th time. Pearl decided to stab him from behind while he was distracted with Amethyst, which resulted in her spear getting stuck in the armor and alerting Steven to her presents. Steven whirled around and grabbed her by the neck, he then lifted her in the air and slowly squeezed.

Pearl:"S-Steven *Choke* please!"

Steven:"Ggggggggrrrrrrrrr!"

Pearl can feel her form starting to break so she closed her eyes and accepted her fate. She then heard a scream and the next thing she knew she was on the ground with Garnet standing over her.

Garnet:"You alright?"

Pearl:"*Coughing* I'm good but Amethyst is poofed so it's just you and me"

Garnet:"Well get ready cause here he comes!"

Steven came charging out of the hay looking beyond pissed.

Steven:"RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Garnet took his charge head on while Pearl fired beams from her spear at a distance. Their strategy seemed to work until Steven grabbed Garnet and ripped her in half, poofing her in seconds. Pearl hopped on Stevens back and tried to stab his head but was stopped when the thorns on Stevens vines jutted themselves out, impaling Pearl multiple times. She poofed seconds later.

The crystal gems were defeated.

Buck:"Whoa"

Jenny:"I know right"

Sour Cream:"He destroyed them man"

Steven turns and walks in their direction.

Jenny:"Oh no he's coming this way!"

Buck:"Relax Jenny we're fine"

Jenny:"What!?"

Sour Cream:"Haven't you noticed?"

Steven walks right by not even looking at them.

Sour Cream:"Stevens not going to attack us cause he doesn't see us as a threat"

Buck:"Ya he only attacked those that hurt his lady friend"

Steven stops in front of Lapis's gem and picks it up. His bulkier armor starts to dissipate and he returns to his normal height. Steven then grabs his head.

Steven:"*Groans* Oh my head, what was I doing?"

Buck walks up to him.

Buck:"You busted your way out of that pod after seeing Lapis get poofed by your caretakers"

Steven looks down an sees Lapis's gem in his hand. He then looks around and sees the others gems lying around.

Steven:"I didn't hurt them too badly did I?"

The others join them.

Sour Cream:"Dude! You completely destroyed them, you used the purple one as a wrecking ball, then ripped the big one in half, and lastly impaled the white one with your thorns man! They didn't even leave a scratch on you!"

Steven:"Wait I impaled Pearl with my thorns?"

Jenny:"Ya you did! They jutted out of your body like spears and stabbed her multiple times before retracting! It was awesome!"

Steven:"And you guys aren't afraid of me after what I just did?"

Sour Cream:"Na man. You weren't scary man, you were just awesome man!"

Buck:"Besides from what we saw you only attacked those three and not us so we're good. It wasn't that hard to see that you only attacked those who were a threat and hurt your lady friend"

Steven was stunned by this. They're not afraid of him and actually think he's awesome. This brought a warm smile to his face as he pulled the three into a hug.

Steven:"Thank you guys, you three are great friends"

The three returned the hug.

Buck:"No prob man"

Sour Cream:"Ya man it's what friends do"

Jenny:"An don't you forget it"

They continued to hug for a few more moments before separating. Steven looked at the busted up pod with a huge hole in it.

Steven:"So you guys wanna help me get this pod back to the temple?"

Jenny:"Sure it wont be that hard. I got some toe cables in the trunk that we can use"

With that they all wrapped the cables around the pod and made sure it was secured. They all prepared to leave when Buck asked Steven a question.

Buck:"So are just gonna take your girls gem and leave the others or?"

Steven:"Just Lapis's, they can walk back on there own"

Buck:"Still mad at them"

Steven:"Yes"

And so they set off back to the temple.


	8. Chapter 8 Training

Normal Pov.

Two days have passed since the fight and not much has happened. The gems came back 3 hours after the fight to find Steven sitting on the couch holding Lapis's gem while glaring at them. The gems tried to apologize for what they did but Steven wasn't having any of it. Pearl tried to play the self defense card, only to have her head ripped off. After that display Garnet and Amethyst backed off and gave Steven some space for awhile. It took around a day for Lapis to reform. Steven spent the next day talking/hanging out with Lapis and making sure nothing else happened to her.

The third day is when things got interesting.

Stevens Pov.

I was sitting on my bed watching Crying Breakfast Friends with Lapis when I heard a knock on my door, I got up walked over to the door. Upon opening it I'm met with Connie looking at me.

"*Growling* What do you want?"

Connie rolled her eyes.

Connie:"I came to start my first day of training with Pearl"

I could not believe what I just heard. Pearl was training Connie, a HUMAN. Then Pearl walked out of her room and saw us.

Pearl:"Ah Connie your early, you weren't suppose to be here for another hour"

Connie:"Sorry but I got so exited that I just couldn't wait"

Pearl:"Well no matter. Come Connie we will begin your training immediately"

"Now hold on just a second!"

The two stopped and looked at me.

"*Incredulous* Since when are you suddenly okay with training a human?"

Pearl:"Well she wanted to learn how to wield a sword so I offered to teach her"

"Well what about me? I need help controlling my powers yet you and the others refuse to help me, but your willing to train Connie? WHAT THE FUCK!"

Pearl:"Language Steven!"

I was about to go into a rant when Lapis stepped in.

Lapis:"Steven why don't I help you with your powers while those two play with their swords"

I think about it for a moment before agreeing.

"Sure Lapis I'm down for that"

Pearl:"No you will not be teaching Steven anything under any circumstances! He will wait until either me or Garnet are ready to teach him!"

"And when will that be Pearl?"

Pearl looked at me with a smirk.

Pearl:"When I feel your good and ready. Now come Connie we have much training to do"

With that the two warp away to god knows where. After a moment of silence I turn to Lapis.

"So when is our first lesson?"

Lapis looked at me surprised that I was so willing to disobey Pearls orders before smiling.

Lapis:"Step on the warp pad with me and I'll take us to a perfect spot to train"

And so I got on the warp pad and warped away with Lapis.

...

When we arrived I looked around and was amazed by what I saw. It was a massive valley area with blue crystals scattered everywhere, even a small stream. There were even massive spires made of purple crystals that glowed. Some small floating islands scattered all over, fairing in size. All an all the place was beautiful.

"*Amazed* Wow! This place is amazing! How did you know of such a place?"

Lapis turned an smiled at me.

Lapis:"When I was sent to earth I was tasked with surveying the planet and stumbled across this place...before I was put in the mirror"

I look at her with concern.

"Lapis... is there something you wanna talk about?"

She shook her head.

Lapis:"No not really. Anyway lets get back on track shall we"

"Alright"

We walk over to a clearing in the center.

Lapis:"Okay... now I want you to try to summon your bubble alright?"

"Got it"

It took me a moment but I was able to summon it. Once it appeared Lapis spoke.

Lapis:"Okay, now I want you to try and make that bubble offensive"

I look at her confused.

"What?"

Lapis:"I said-"

"I heard what you said, I just don't know how to make it offensive"

Lapis:"Well... you could try thinking of attacking with your bubble"

I give her a look.

Lapis:"What I'm trying to help you. My powers are water manipulation, I simple need to think it and-"

She then raises a hand into the air and the water from the nearby stream rises up, forming a fist.

Lapis:"It happens"

"Oooooohhhhh, I get it. Okay I'm gonna try now"

I close my eyes and concentrated on making my bubble more dangerous. A few moments later I hear Lapis gasp so I open my eyes to see what happened and when I did I was shocked. Large spikes appeared on the bubble, each one 2 feet long.

Lapis:"You did it Steven great job!"

I blush a little at the complement.

"Thanks Lapis"

After testing the assault bubble as I like to call it we moved on to other powers.

Lapis:"Alright Steven I want you to tell me what other powers you have"

"Well as you know I can transform into that other form but I don't really have control over myself when I do so that needs work. But if I do remember correctly I can create living plants, such as those Watermelon Stevens I made a while back. I wonder what they're doing right now?"

Lapis:"Well the transformation can go last, how about we try those plant powers of yours"

"Alright I'll give it a shot"

I began trying to make living plant creatures but for some reason it wouldn't work. Just as I was about to give up an idea struck. Following this idea I got down on my knees and stuck my hands in the dirt and focused, moments later I saw my vines extend into the dirt. Moments passed before the ground starts to shake and rising from said ground was a creature made of moss, vines, wood, and other stuff. It was over twelfth feet tall. Its face had no features with glowing pink eyes.

"Wow... I made that!"

Lapis was shocked that Steven was even able to make such a creature.

Lapis:"I can't believe it... you made something like that!"

The creature just stood there motionless as if nothing but a statue.

Lapis:"Um shouldn't it be moving or something?"

I chuckle a little.

"Well no. If I remember correctly the watermelon Stevens only ever did something if I told them to or I was hurt, which lead to some... incidents"

Lapis:"Well why don't you give it a order"

Shrugging I look at the tree with legs and ordered it.

"Alright tree man I order you to... pick up Lapis"

The tree walked over to Lapis and grabbed her roughly making her yelp.

"Gently!"

And the tree did. With that task done the living tree just stood there waiting.

"Um... bring her over to me"

The tree walked over to me with Lapis and placed her right in front of me.

"Heh heh, sorry about that"

Lapis just brushed herself off.

Lapis:"It's fine it didn't really hurt me that bad"

After that I gave it a few more orders before trying to making it a twin. I tried making the second one look slightly different from the other one. I came up with something that's a few feet taller then the other but looks more dangerous.

It was around six o'clock when I had finished testing it's strength against the other and surprisingly it was stronger. After about an hour of testing the two I had them go wander around the valley.

Lapis:"Okay now we must begin trying to control that second armor of yours"

"*Sigh* Alright Lapis I'll start trying to remain in control while transformed"

Lapis:"Okay, I'll be ready to restrain you if you get out of hand"

I was about to begin when the warp pad went off. We turn to see Pearl and Garnet standing there. Pearl looks mad and Garnet well...it's hard to tell. Pearl then starts to march over to me and Lapis, just as I was about ask why she was here she slapped me.

Pearl:"I told you no training until I say so and what do you do...you go and train anyway!"

Lapis then storms over pissed.

Lapis:"Why in the name of the diamonds did you slap him!"

Pearl:"Cause he disobeyed me. Now I don't know what brainwashing you have been doing to Steven but it ends now"

Lapis:"What! I'm not brainwashing Steven I'm helping him train with his powers, something you wouldn't do!"

The two looked about ready to attack each other but before that could happen Garnet intervened.

Garnet:"Alright you two enough! We came here to bring Steven home and that's what we're going to do"

Lapis:"Not until Steven is done with his training"

Pearl:"Out of the question. Steven is coming home right now!

As the argument between the three continued none of them noticed the two giants stomping over looking ready to kill.

I was still stunned that Pearl slapped me, she's never slaps me before. This made me angry and I could feel myself getting bigger along with seeing my armor shift and change. I was gonna try to stop it but instead I chose to focus on what I'm feeling right now as I'm changing. Anger, that's what I'm feeling as the change continues. So instead of trying to fight it, I try to control it. It was very difficult but I managed.

"I can feel the power, it's amazing!"

The gems weren't paying attention to me, to deep in their argument to notice what I had accomplished. I felt the ground shake so I turned to see my creations moving towards us. I was wondering why, then I remember that Pearl slapped me. Which means that their going to attack her.

"Oh well not my problem"

I started to walk away from the group when I realize something...Lapis wasn't paying attention, which means she will most likely get caught in the crossfire.

"Dammit!"

I go back to the group and grab Lapis's hand.

"We need to leave now"

Lapis:"What why? And you'r in your other form how, did you figure out a way to stay in control while like that?"

"Yes I managed to stay in control while I'm like this. As for the reason why we need to leave-"

I point at my creations.

"Cause they're angry and look ready to murder Pearl"

The gems look and see the two walking trees coming over glaring murderously at Pearl.

Pearl:"What are those things and why do they want to hurt me!? Also how are you still in control while like that young man!"

"Well I made them with my powers and you know how my creations get when I'm hurt in anyway. And since you slapped me they're going to hurt you. As for how I'm in control well...I'm not telling you"

With that I walk over to the warp pad with Lapis in toe. Just before we warped away I looked back at my two caretakers.

"Have fun"

And so we left.

...

Normal Pov.

Back at the temple the warp pad went off, as the light died down it relieved Steven and Lapis. The two walked of the pad and made there way to Stevens bedroom, along the way Lapis started asking Steven questions.

Lapis:"So how did you manage to keep yourself from losing your mind?"

Steven:"Well I focused on the feeling I was having while I was changing and tried to control said feeling, as you can see it worked"

Lapis:"That's great! Does this mean you can change at will now?"

Steven chuckled at her enthusiasm.

Steven:"Not yet. Unlike you I need to train while like this so I can have a better grip on it"

Lapis:"*Giggles* Well alright. But did you really need to leave those two back there with your creations?"

Steven:"*Shrugs* Not really. I feel bad for leaving Garnet like that but not Pearl, she's been a real jerk lately and I don't know why"

The two reached Stevens room and sat down on the bed together. Seconds later Steven changes back.

Steven:"*Yawn* I think I'm going to sleep early...you wanna Join me?"

Lapis blushed a little before replying.

Lapis:"Sure I would like that"

And so the two cuddled up in bed, falling into a deep sleep.


	9. Chapter 9 Keeping it Together

Normal Pov.

Steven was curled up in bed peacefully asleep with Lapis in his arms. This didn't last long as they were rudely awakened by Amethyst shouting in their ears.

Amethyst:"WAKE UP!"

Steven/Lapis:"AAAAHHHHHHHH!"

The two then fall out of bed.

Steven:"*Groaning* Who the hell woke me up?!"

Steven turns and sees Amethyst standing a few feet away trying her best not to laugh.

Steven:"*Snarls* YOU!"

Amethyst:"Oh shit!"

And thus Steven proceeded to chase Amethyst around the house while Lapis just sat there and watched. Three minutes passed before Steven was able to tackle Amethyst to the ground

Steven:"Gotcha!"

Amethyst:"*Grumbles*Ya ya whatever. Now get off me!"

Steven:"Hhhhmmmm... No"

Amethyst:"What, why!"

Steven:"Cause I'm too lazy to move"

Amethyst tried to lift Steven off herself but he was to heavy. She then tried shape shifting but that didn't work either, not even the purple puma could lift him! So seeing as there is no way out of this she gave up and excepted her fate.

Amethyst:"How are you so heavy!"

Steven:"Gravity powers"

Amethyst:"Ugh how long do you plan to lay on top of me?"

Steven:"*Shrugs* Maybe an hour or two not to sure yet"

Amethyst:"*Groans* This is gonna take forever"

Steven just continued to lay on top of amethyst for over an hour, all the while Lapis was recording it on Stevens phone. Just as two hours passed did Steven decide to get up.

Steven:"You know Amethyst you make a very comfy bed, I wouldn't mind sleeping on top of you again~"

Amethyst:"*Blushes* Ya whatever"

Lapis:"*Giggles* You seemed real comfy there Steven, maybe I should give it a try~"

Amethyst:"*Blush intensify* I'm out of here!"

Amethyst heads to the door.

Steven:"Wait Amethyst I have a question!"

Amethyst turns to him.

Amethyst:"What?"

Steven:"Did Garnet or Pearl ever come home last night?"

Amethyst:"Hhhmmm no not really why?"

Steven:"Just wondering if they survived against my creations"

Amethyst:"Wait what?"

Steven:"Oh right you weren't there yesterday. Well long Story short I wanted to train but Pearl wouldn't train me so Lapis did and during said training I managed to create two tree like beings. Then Garnet and Pearl show up, Pearl slaps me and tree men start to close in on her so as not to get involved I grabbed Lapis and warped with her back to the temple. So ya I'm just wondering if they survived or not"

When Steven looked at Amethyst he saw that she was staring at him with wide eyes and jaw on the ground. After a few moments she begins to picks her jaw up.

Amethyst:"You did WHAT!"

Steven:"I'm not repeating my self"

Amethyst took a moment to calm down before speaking.

Amethyst:"We need to go make sure they're okay!"

Steven:"*Groan* Do we have to?"

Amethyst:"YES!"

Steven:"Fine. Hey Lapis you wanna tag along?"

Lapis:"Sure got nothing else to do, besides Amethyst doesn't know where they are and you can't use the warp pads remember"

Steven:"*Sweat drops* Oh... right"

With that the three step on the warp pad and warp away.

...

Stevens Pov.

Once we arrived we saw that both Garnet and Pearl were stuck in the ground with only their heads visible. The two tree men that put them there were laying right next to them asleep. I just could not resist taking a picture of this scene.

"*Whispers* Oh this going to make for some good blackmail later"

Amethyst:"*Whispers* Send me a copy later"

Lapis:"*Whisper/Chuckling* I need to get my own phone so you can send me a copy as well"

After taking a few pictures we walk over to the two and just stare at them, they stared back.

"Sooo... how is your day"

Pearl:"How do think are day is going! We are stuck in the ground with these monsters sleeping RIGHT NEXT TO US!"

"Then don't you think you should keep your voice down?"

Pearl eyes widen and when she looked at the tree men she saw them staring right back at her. The living trees growled at her before getting up, their gazes still locked onto her. While this was happening Amethyst was talking with Garnet.

Amethyst:"You seem to be doing just fine"

Garnet:"In all honesty this isn't so bad, kinda relaxing"

Amethyst:"Well you want some help getting out?"

Garnet:"No thanks I can get myself out just fine"

Garnet then yanks her arms out of the ground and pulls the rest of herself out. Pearl looks at her in shock then anger.

Pearl:"You mean you could have gotten us both out of the ground this whole time but you didn't! WHY?!"

Garnet:"*Shrugs* You didn't ask"

Pearl was about to go into a rant when I grabbed her head and yanked her out of the ground.

"Well now that your out of the ground how about we try to figure out where Peridot is"

Garnet:"If I recall you said she was doing something in the kindergarten"

Pearl gained a worried look.

Pearl:"Do you think she's going to try too reactivate it?"

Garnet:"*Nods* If she gets it up and running the injectors will turn back on"

I look at her in confusion.

"Injectors, What are those?"

Pearl:"You have already seen them, well you've seen them disabled"

Pearl uses her gem to show a hologram of the weird machines I saw in the kindergarten.

Pearl:"If Peridot reactivates them they will pick up right where they left off, planting gems in the crust of the Earth. Where they will incubate and suck the life right out of the ground. We can't let Peridot restart gem production here, if we do the entire planet will become..."

Garnet:"Janked"

We look at her surprised.

Amethyst:"Garnet! That mouth!"

Garnet:"*Smiles* Don't worry well stop her"

After that we head over to the warp pad but before leaving I spoke too my creations.

"Alright you two I want you guys to patrol this valley. Make sure nobody gets in without my permission, understand?"

The two trees nodded.

"Alright, see ya later!"

With that we warped to the kindergarten.

...

Once we arrived Garnet spoke.

Garnet:"Alright I suggest we split up. We can cover more ground if we all go different ways"

"Alright but what do we do when one of us fines her?"

Garnet:"Shout out your location"

"Really?"

Garnet:"We don't exactly have flare guns and not all of us have phones"

Seeing as the conversation was over we all went our separate ways. Everyone went down a different path while Lapis took to the sky's, so I picked a random path and started walking.

Hours past and I still haven't found anything, that is until I heard a familiar voice coming from a familiar hole in the ground.

Peridot:"Log date 652. This is Peridot updating status, still stuck on this miserable planet"

I see Peridot rise up out of the ground on a green platform, too focused on her holo pad to notice me getting closer.

Peridot:"The fusion experiments are developing properly, a few even emerged early YAHHAA!"

She finally notices me a few feet away from her. We just stare at each other for a few moments before she spoke.

Peridot:"*Whispers* Are the others with you?"

I just nod.

Peridot:"*Groans* Of course, why not"

We just stood there in a awkward silence before I decided too speak.

"So what are you doing here anyway?"

Peridot looks at me surprised.

Peridot:"Why do you wanna know?"

"Cause I'm curious. You came here for a reason so..."

Peridot:"Well... I came here to check up on the fusion experiments"

"Fusion experiments, what are those?"

Peridot smiles at my curiosity.

Peridot:"Well fusion experiments are what you can say are gem shards forcibly fused together"

"Wait why are they forcibly fusing gem shard together?"

Peridot:"They wanted to make Geo weapons like the cluster"

"Wait what's the cluster?"

Peridot:"Oh it's-"

Garnet:"PERIDOT!"

We turn to see Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl closing in fast. Peridot panics and runs away.

"Peridot wait!"

It was no use she was already gone.

"Dammit!"

The three stop in front of me.

Garnet:"Why didn't you call out that you found her or at least tried to poof her?"

"Well maybe I was trying to solve things peacefully and not with violence"

Pearl:"She could have hurt you!"

"Pearl if you haven't noticed barely anything can actually hurt me, you all found that out the hard way remember"

They cringed at that.

Amethyst:"Well...did you learn anything?"

"Actually yes I did. She didn't come here to reactivate the injectors, she was actually here to check up on some experiments"

Garnet:"What kind of experiments?"

"Forced fusions"

The three gasped at this, then Garnet started to shake.

Garnet:"N-No your lying!"

"Wish I was but it came strait from Peridot"

Garnet:"Where..."

"Garnet?"

Garnet:"*Snarls* Where... are... they!"

I had them follow me onto the green platform. We then started to descend into the room where I first met Peridot. Once the platform stopped we proceeded to walk into the central chamber. After looking around the dark chamber for a bit we had almost given up until some weird thing fell from the ceiling. It looked like a hand and foot fused together.

"I think I found it"

The others come over.

Amethyst:"Wow weird looking"

Garnet:"..."

Pearl:"Ugh"

Then more of these forced fusions started to fall from the ceiling. We looked up and saw some broken pillars were the forced fusions were coming out of. Suddenly there was a bright light and appeared a massive forced fusion that's multicolored and has multiple arms and legs.

It then walked over to me and inspected me with its hands. I started to think that maybe it was peaceful, after all it wasn't trying to hurt me just checking me out. I was about speak my thoughts when Pearl suddenly stabbed it with her spear poofing it.

Pearl:"There it's been dealt with, now lets round up the rest"

She seemed pretty proud of herself.

**"What the hell Pearl!"**

Pearl was taken aback by this.

Pearl:"W-What?"

**"There was no reason for you to attack it!"**

Pearl:"Yes there was! It was grabbing you and looked to be trying to hurt you!"

**"*Growling* It wasn't trying to hurt me it was inspecting me, since it didn't seem to have any eyes to see with!"**

Pearl:"Why do you have to question what I do you brat!"

**"What did you say bird nose!"**

We would have argued longer if not for Garnet interfering.

Garnet:"Enough you two we need to round these things up and bubble them"

**"Why****, they're not ****doing anything bad****. All their doing is ****just roaming around"**

Garnet:"So they don't hurt themselves or others"

**"Well you do that I'm gonna go find Lapis"**

I head back to the platform and leave the gems to their business. Once on the surface I start to search for Lapis while calling out her name.

**"Lapis w****here**** are you! LAPIS!"**

I search for over an hour with no sign I was about give up until I heard something in the distance. heading toward the source I see Lapis stuck under one of the gem injectors.

**"Lapis!"**

Lapis looks at me.

Lapis:"Steven help, I'm trapped and can't get out!"

**"Hang on I'll get you out!"**

I rush over and grab the injector. I lifted it with ease, holding it up with one hand I use the other to pull Lapis out from underneath.

Lapis:"Thanks Steven"

**"No problem"**

Lapis then kisses me on the cheek, causing me to blush a little.

Lapis:"*Blushing* That was for saving me"

**"*Chuckling* Well I hope to earn more of those in the future"**

Lapis:"*Giggling* You just might"

After a moment we decide to head to the warp pad and seeing as we aren't needed anymore warped home.


	10. Chapter 10 Deception

Stevens Pov.

A week has passed since the discovery of the fusion experiments. During that time I had too help Garnet and Amethyst chase after a corrupted gem that was loose in the temple.

I don't really remember much of the chase but from what Garnet told me the moment I saw the _Slinker_ I practically tore into it like a wild animal. What I do remember though, was that Amethyst was really insecure about herself. So I tried to help her with her insecurities and after that I decide it was time to pay Dad a visit.

During my visit Dad told me about how he learned about fusion and his attempt to fuse with mom, all in all it was a sweet ending in my opinion. So the week continued on like normal, well as normal as it can be for me.

I was in the moment watching Crying Breakfast Friends with Amethyst and Lapis.

Amethyst:"I don't get this cartoon man. Why don't they just eat the ice cream off the floor? They don't have to cry about it"

Lapis:"I just don't understand how you can enjoy a show that only shows people crying all the time?"

I just shrug my shoulders with indifference.

"I find it very entertaining alright, don't judge me"

We continued watching when the screen changed to static.

"*Growl* Not again! It was doing this yesterday to!"

Amethyst:"Hang on I got it"

Amethyst went next to the TV and proceeded to kick it a few times.

Amethyst:"How about now?"

Suddenly the TV started to emanate a loud noise which spooked us. It was so loud it hurt my already sensitive ears.

"AAAAHHHH MY EARS!"

Just as I was about to smash my TV to pieces the image of Peridot appeared. She was saying something.

TV Peridot:"This is Peridot transmitting on all frequencies from abandoned crystal system colony planet Earth to Yellow Diamond. My mission has been compromised, my escort and informant are gone. Now I am stranded, please send help!"

The message kept repeating it self non stop. By now the other gems join us in watching the message.

"I'm going to guess and say that this is playing on everyone's TV"

Pearl:"But where could Peridot be broadcasting a signal that strong?"

Garnet:"There's only one place"

...

A pink portal appears with lion jumping through with the gems on his back, then collapses from the weight on his back. A second later I pop my head out of his mane.

"*Concerned* Lion, are you Okay?"

Lion gives a small roar in response. Garnet then appears beside my head.

Garnet:"It's as I feared"

We all look up and see the communication hub has been put back together, although in a messy way.

Pearl:"It looks like Peridot somehow repaired the communication hub, well at least some of it"

"So we just gotta wreck it up again, right?"

I then look at Garnet and Amethyst.

"You guys should form Sugilite, that would make this quick and easy"

Amethyst:"Ya well it's up to Garnet I guess"

Amethyst turns to Garnet.

Amethyst:"What do ya say, shall we mash it up?"

Garnet:"No"

Amethyst:"But... don't we need to be huge like last time"

Garnet:"Last time was a disaster. Last time we fused Sugilite went berserk, its because of her we cant even warp here anymore"

Garnet waves a hand over to the destroyed warp pad then takes off her shades.

Garnet:"I can be rash, you can be reckless, and we both can get carried away. So for the time being, Sugilite is benched"

Garnet puts back on her shade and turns to Pearl.

Garnet:"What we need now is to be careful"

I have a feeling I know what's about to happen.

Garnet:"It's you and me Pearl, lets fuse"

Pearl has a shine in her eyes and looks ready to cry.

Garnet:"Don't cry Pearl"

Pearl tries her best not to cry.

Garnet:"Come on, lets do this"

Pearl:"I'm right behind you"

With that the two walk a short distance from the rest of us. I was about to follow when Lapis started to tug on my arm.

"What is it Lapis?"

Lapis:"Was Sugilite really that bad?"

"Trust me when I say she is far worst then you realize"

Lapis looked a little scared but quickly shook it off. We head over to the others and see Garnet and Pearl getting ready to fuse, Pearl is doing stretches while Garnet just holds her hands out.

Garnet:"Ready?"

Pearl:"Hang on its been such a long time"

And so the two did a dance and fused together to form Sardonyx.

Sardonyx:"Good evening everybody!"

Sardonyx walks over to us.

Sardonyx:"This is the lovely Sardonyx coming to you live from the soon to be former communication hub, how are y'all doing tonight"

Amethyst:"*Groans* Great"

"Wow I did not expect her to look like that"

Sardonyx:"Oh my stars if it isn't Steven Universe, we finally meet. So what do ya think was I worth the wait? What am I saying of course I was ohohohoho!"

"I didn't know you were so articulated"

Sardonyx:"Well aren't you just the sweetest little charmer, well you ain't exactly little but you get it. Sorry I'm just so exited to be here, you see I haven't exactly been myself lately ohohohohoho"

"*Chuckles* Fusion joke"

Amethyst:"ugh"

Lapis:"*Giggles* Not bad"

Sardonyx:"And jokes aren't the only thing I got"

Sardonyx proceeded to then combine her spear and gauntlets to make a warhammer. This has me a little exited.

"Are you going to smash stuff with your warhammer"

Sardonyx:"Hhhmmm smash is the word one would use to describe what someone else might do. Na"

Sardonyx leaps into the air and starts to take apart the hub.

Sardonyx:"Now the proper words to describe yours truly are... specific, intelligent, accurate, focused, elegant~~, controlled, circled, graceful, and... POWERFUL!"

She stops for a second at the top pillar.

Sardonyx:"But yes occasionally I am known... to smash"

Then she taps the top pillar, sending it flying down to the ground. She then hops down to the ground and turns her warhammer into butterflies.

Sardonyx:"Now just remember everybody if you ever have need of the lovely Sardonyx let Pearl and Garnet know I'll be there in a flash, literally"

And poof Pearl and Garnet appear holding each other very closely. Then Pearl starts to giggle which leads to both of them laughing in joy. I decide to go over and congratulate them.

"You guys were actually amazing out there"

Pearl:"We were,... oh well that's good"

Garnet:"We were awesome!"

Pearl:"Why don't we do that more often?"

Once everyone was sure the communication hub was not transmitting they head back home.

...

I was back in my room watching Crying Breakfast Friends with Garnet.

"You know I'm starting to question why I even like this show"

Garnet:"Me to Steven, me to"

I then spot Amethyst leaving her room and heading to the fridge so I call out to her.

"Hey Amethyst you wanna join me and Garnet in watching Crying Breakfast Friends?"

Amethyst:"No thanks I'm good"

As I went back to watching Crying Breakfast Friends the screen goes static again.

"Not again!"

Garnet:"Peridot!"

We turn to the door and see Pearl walking into the house.

Garnet:"Pearl the signal is back!"

Pearl:"Again?"

Garnet:"We need to get back out there!"

Pearl:"Right! Steven where's Lion?"

"Under the porch like always"

Pearl:"Good. Amethyst get your head out of the fridge"

Amethyst:*Grumbles* Fine"

Pearl:"Steven where's Lapis?"

"At the light house"

Pearl:"Why?"

"Something about clearing her head"

Garnet:"Lets go guys, we don't have time to wait for her!"

**...**

Garnet:"I hope your ready"

Pearl:"You know I am~"

They dance and fuse into Sardonyx.

Sardonyx:"What's this an encore performance. Just couldn't get enough of me could you ohohohoho. What are we waiting for, let the show begin"

Sardonyx proceeds to disable the hub again.

**...**

Me and Amethyst returned to the communication hub on Lion.

**"Okay Peridots been back here twice, so the odds are good she'll come back again. Then BAM, that's when we'll get her"**

Amethyst:"Ya BAM!"

**"Garnet will be impressed"**

Amethyst:"Then she'll think I'm cool again!"

We staked out the hub for hours with no sign of Peridot anywhere except for the cactus that oddly looked like Peridot.

**"We've been here for hours and Peridot is still a no show"**

Amethyst:"*Sigh* I don't think she's coming"

I got bored and decided to work on my powers a bit. I transformed into my other form and started to bench press the bolder we were hiding behind. Amethyst was scared at first but when I told her I had more control now she calmed down a little. I then used my vines to create a little wolf made of wood**_(A/N:Think of the timber wolfs from MLP just pup size)_**. The pup hopped around a little before snuggling into Amethyst hair.

Amethyst:"*Chuckle* Since when can you to do that?"

**"Since Lapis help me train with my powers a while back"**

Amethyst:"Well if you don't want him can I keep him?

**"Sure if you want to"**

Amethyst:"Alright! Hear that little guy your my new pet, I'm gonna name you Oak"

Oak:"Arff! Arff!"

I chuckle at their interaction before noticing a light in the distance. I pull Amethyst behind cover and watched the light get closer. I pull out my telescope to get a better look at what the light is and was shocked at what I saw.

**"*Whisper* It's Peridots escape pod! She seems to have fixed it somehow"**

Amethyst:"*Whisper* But I thought we had it?!"

**"We did but I guess she stole it back"**

We continued to watch and saw as she repaired the hub again.

**"She's returned the pillars back to where they were last time. Wait what's she doing up at the top?"**

I zoom in to get a better look.

**"That's strange"**

Amethyst:"What is?"

**"For some reason Peridot kinda looks like *Gasp* Pearl?!"**

Amethyst:"What?! Let me see!"

Amethyst looks through the telescope and sees that it is Pearl.

Amethyst:"Oh no"

Then the hub came back online.

**...**

**"Why would Pearl rebuild the hub? It just doesn't make sense at all"**

Amethyst:"I know why..."

**"You do?"**

Amethyst:"Yes it's because of fusion"

**"****What makes you say that?"**

Amethyst:"*Sigh* Steven... fusing with Garnet is amazing. It makes you feel like you can do anything and if I have to guess I'd say she's doing this to fuse with Garnet over and over again just to feel that power"

**"So she's doing this just to feel powerful. *Growling* I'm gonna tear her apart!"**

Amethyst:"No! It wont do us any good without proof of what she did"

**"We saw it with our own eyes!"**

Amethyst:"That's not enough!"

**"But it's all we got! She would have already put the pod back in the temple so we can't use that as evidence! *Sigh* Garnets gonna have to take our word for it"**

Amethyst just nods and turns on the TV. Suddenly Pearl appears behind us kneeling in front of the TV, spooking us a bit.

Pearl:"Oh this is no good"

**"*Growl* What"**

Pearl turns around.

Pearl:"She must have fixed the communication hub again"

Pearl looks up and sees Garnet.

Pearl:"Garnet it's the hub again"

Garnet:"*Growls* She's evading my future vision. No matter how many times I try I can't see us finding Peridot. Come on team!"

**...**

Pearl:"I can't believe Peridots giving us so much trouble. But it hardly matters...right Garnet? We can disable this tower as many times as we need to together okay! Okay! I'm ready"

Amethyst:"We can't let her continue doing this"

**"Your right"**

Just as Pearl and Garnet were about to dance Amethyst stopped them.

Amethyst:"STOP!"

They stop and look at Amethyst.

Pearl:"Is something the matter Amethyst?"

Amethyst:"You... you shouldn't..."

**"Pearl we saw you last night"**

Pearls eyes widened.

Pearl:"What?"

**"You need to tell Garnet it was you that's been fixing the hub!"**

Garnet:"I don't understand"

Garnet looks at Pearl for answers.

Pearl:"I'm sorry... its just so much fun being Sardonyx with you"

Garnet is shocked and drops Pearl to the ground.

Garnet:"That's why I couldn't see us finding Peridot"

Pearl get up and holds up her hands.

Pearl:"Wait let me explain"

Garnet stalks towards Pearl as she walks backwards.

Garnet:"You've been fixing the hub"

Pearl:"It really was Peridot... the first time"

Garnet:"You tricked me!"

Pearl:"No nananana no we just needed a reason to fuse. I just wanted to share a few more victorys with you"

Garnet:"Those weren't victories!"

Amethyst:"Wait Garnet! You know we're so much more weaker then you-"

**"*****Grumbles* ****I'm stronger then her now"**

Amethyst:"Fusing with you is like our one chance to feel... stronger!"

Garnet:"Don't defend her! Peridot is out there somewhere and Pearl has been distracting us with...NOTHING!"

It was a tense few moments before Pearl spoke.

Pearl:"Garnet"

Garnet:"That's enough! Amethyst fuse with me!"

Amethyst:"But-"

Garnet clenches her fist.

Garnet:"Lets just get this over with"

And so Garnet and Amethyst fused into Sugilite and destroyed the communication hub. All the while me and Pearl watched. If I didn't know any better I'd say Pearl looked terrified. That truly brought a smile to my face.

**...**

Me, Lapis and Amethyst were watching Crying Breakfast Friends when Pearl walked in and Garnet warped in. The two passed each other without a word with Pearl looking like she wanted to say something but decided to keep her mouth shut.

Amethyst:"Man... it sure would be nice if things worked out the way they do in cartoons"

**"Maybe...****.****but Pearl needs to learn from her mistakes and forgiving her right away wont help"**

Lapis:"I'm with Steven on this. From what you two told me Pearl got off lightly. If she tried to do that to me I would be out for her shards"

**"As would I"**


	11. Chapter 11 Motel

Steven Pov.

I was currently trying to fix my TV using a trick Dad taught me when I saw the warp pad go off and Pearl appear so I call out to her, startling her a bit.

"Pearl where have you been?"

I jump down from my room and land in front of her, causing her to shrink back a little.

Pearl:"O-Oh you know, looking for Peridot! For a few days strait. *Sigh* Steven...I know I might have...disappointed all of you. I know Garnet is very upset with me, but I'm going to prove to her that she can trust me again!"

I give her a look.

"She's not the only one you upset with your actions"

Pearl looked at me confused before we both noticed Garnet walk back into the house and Pearl quickly goes over to her.

Pearl:"Oh Garnet I was just looking for Peridot!"

Garnet gave her a blank stare.

Pearl:"She's bound to be somewhere right, any new ideas?"

Garnet continues to stare before making her way over to the temple door, completely ignoring Pearl who looked distraught.

Pearl:"I'm sorry"

Garnet stops at that. There's a awkward silence before we hear someone come in.

Greg:"Who wants to go on a ROAD TRIP!"

Pearl looks at him with a sad expression while me and Garnet give him blank stares.

Greg:"Um is this a bad time?"

Garnet walks up next to me.

Garnet:"No please continue"

Greg:"Well I gotta drive over to the next state, Keystone"

Pearl look at him with interest.

Pearl:"You mean the Keystone state?"

Greg:"Right the state named Keystone. I met a guy on a internet message board who is selling car wash brushes for real cheap. I just gotta meet him in Keystone and pick em up"

"You mean those brushes that feel weird on your hair?"

Greg:"Ya!"

"I really don't like those"

Greg:"Well do you like motels?"

I shrug my shoulders.

"*Shrugs* Don't know, never been to one so I can't say for certain"

Greg:"Well you think you'd like to stay at a motel with your _favorite_ Dad?"

"*Chuckles* Your my only Dad genius"

Greg:"But still..."

I walk over and give him a shoulder hug while laughing.

"Don't worry I still consider you my favorite Dad in the world"

Greg:"Yes!"

"I wonder what kind of room service they have?"

Greg:"Your thinking of a hotel, we're going to a motel. It'll have a pool, and free ice, and it's right next to the Best Diner In The World"

Garnet:"I'm coming to"

I was surprised, so was Dad and Pearl.

Pearl:"What?"

"Really?"

Dad walked over to Garnet and whispered to her.

Greg:"*Whisper* Hey Garnet I know I'm talking this place up but it ain't exactly The Ritz"

Garnet smirks.

Garnet:"I'll be the judge of that"

Greg:"Well in that case ROAD TRIP!"

"Road trip!"

Garnet:"Road trip"

Pearl:"Wonderful, I'll make sure that Amethyst knows that-"

Garnet just walks by her and out the door, still ignoring her.

Pearl:"Fine... well goodbye"

I look at my Dad.

"Do you think we can bring Lapis along?"

Greg:"The one who stole the ocean a few months ago?"

"Ya that's her"

Greg:"Um sure I guess if she wants to"

"Great!"

I quickly rush up to my room and see Lapis sleeping on my bed. I lean in next to her and lightly shake her.

"Hey Lapis wake up"

She just bats her arm at me so I shake her again.

Lapis:"*Grumbles* Go away"

"Can't do that, I need to ask you something"

Lapis:"*Grumbles* Ask me later"

I was about shake her again before an idea came to me. I smiled wickedly an leaned in right next to her ear and shouted.

"WAKE UP!"

Lapis shot up screaming, wings out and looking ready to fly through the roof. I quickly pulled her into a tight hug, making sure she doesn't take off.

"Whoa calm down there Lapis there's no need to add a hole in the roof!"

Lapis struggled for a bit before calming down. Once calm she looked at me with anger and started beating on my chest with her fist while I laughed.

Lapis:"What the hell Steven, why did you do that!"

"Well maybe if you got up the first time I wouldn't have had to shout in your ear"

Lapis continued her assault for a few minutes before stopping. I then release her from my grasp and ask my question.

"Now I wanted to ask if you were interested in tagging along with me, Dad, and Garnet as we head out of state"

Lapis looked at me confused.

Lapis:"Out of state, where are you going?"

"To Keystone, Dad's meeting some guy there who is selling car wash brushes for real cheap so he asked me to tag along and Garnet decided to come to. I asked if you could come along and he said sure as long as you wanted to"

Lapis looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding.

Lapis:"Sure I'll come, this could be a fun trip"

I smiled brightly.

"Well then we better get going"

...

We were on the road. Garnet sat in the passenger seat while I sat in the back with Lapis. Hours passed and I fell asleep with Lapis in my arms. I awoke when we arrived at the motel, Lapis was still asleep so I just carried her to the room.

Greg:"Another great thing about motels, you can drive up to your door"

Once inside I got a good look at the room we'll be staying in. It was a small room with two beds on the left, a TV on the right, and a door on the other end which most likely leads to the bathroom. After checking the room out I walk over to the bed on the far side and lay Lapis on it.

"This could actually be a fun time"

Greg:"Well before you get settled in let me check for bed bugs, don't want to be eaten alive while asleep now would you"

Soon Garnet walked in with all the luggage while looking a bit upset.

Greg:"Good news, we're bugless"

Suddenly Dads phone went off and he checked it.

Greg:"Well that's my cue"

Dad then looks at Garnet.

Greg:"Hey do you mind holding down the fort till I get back?"

Garnets hands fidget for a moment before giving a thumbs up.

Greg:"Great I'm off to see a man about a tunnel brush, an _internet_ man. If I'm not back in a hour...call the police"

"Okay"

With that Dad leaves me with Garnet and a sleeping Lapis.

"So Garnet what do you wanna do? Hang in the pool for a bit, check out the area, look at these brochures, maybe we can-"

I was cut off by Garnet talking to herself.

Garnet:"Calm down...I don't feel like forgiving Pearl! Don't understand we must. If you're not going to listen then you can just go!"

Then Garnet came undone leaving only a angry Ruby and a calm Sapphire.

Sapphire:"We must move past this Ruby"

Ruby:"She lied to us so we can form Sardonyx, she tricked us! Don't you feel used?!"

"Ruby, Sapphire... what are you-"

Sapphire:"Your choosing to take it personally"

Ruby:"It's fusion Sapphire! What's more personal to us then fusion!"

Sapphire:"I know you're still upset"

I just stood there and watched silently as these two continued to argue.

Ruby:"_Oh_ so it's just me"

Sapphire:"Of course not, can't you see that I'm completely engulfed with rage"

Ruby started to tap her foot.

Ruby:"Well it doesn't feel like it"

Sapphire then starts to float.

Sapphire:"The sooner we forgive Pearl the better it will be for us all"

Sapphire floats over to the bed leaving an even angrier Ruby on the floor.

Ruby:"You're... not as above this as you think you are!"

Sapphire lands on the bed and sits.

Sapphire:"Yes I am"

Ruby starts pacing around the room trying to contain her anger.

Sapphire:"You can't stay angry with her forever"

Ruby stops and looks at Sapphire, eyes narrowed.

Ruby:"Wanna bet"

Sapphire:"Ruby the carpet"

Ruby looks down and sees smoke coming from the carpet.

Ruby:"You, I can't even-"

Ruby storms out the room in rage leaving me with Sapphire.

"Nice to...see you again?"

Sapphire:"Nice to see you to"

I soon leave the room and follow the chard footprints to the pool were Ruby is currently pacing around.

"Hey Ruby...you doing alright?"

Ruby:"It's fusion Steven and it's like Sapphire doesn't even care! We're suppose to be the bigger gem about this, we're always the bigger gem, we're not this time, not about this!"

"Well why don't you cool down in the pool"

I took off my hoodie and pants along with my gloves and boots. I put my cloths on a nearby chair and hopped in the pool, getting some water on Ruby.

Ruby:"I don't need to _cool _down"

The water on Ruby starts to steam.

"Come on Ruby. The waters nice and cool"

Ruby walks over to the pools steps while ranting.

Ruby:"Why does she always act like I'm being ridiculous, just because she wants to-"

I could no longer make out what she was saying since she submerged herself in the water and is walking on the pool floor.

"Uh Ruby"

No answer. I then start to feel the water getting warm.

"Hey Ruby, I think you're turning the pool into a Jacuzzi"

Still no answer, she's too wrapped up in her ranting to notice what she's doing. Soon the water started to boil. I panicked a little thinking I was going to be cooked alive but surprisingly it didn't hurt, in fact it felt great. I laid at the end of the pool enjoying the warm water before noticing Lapis rush out the room covered in ice. She soon spotted me and made her way over.

"Hey Lapis you alright?"

Lapis sat down at edge of the pool right next to me.

Lapis:"Well considering I was just woken up suddenly by being half incased in ice I would say I'm somewhat alright"

"I thought gems weren't really affected by temperatures?"

Lapis:"We aren't but even we don't like being frozen into a popsicle"

"Well you wanna hop in before Ruby steams the water away?"

Lapis:"*Shrugs* Sure, would help getting the rest of this ice off"

Lapis gently lowers herself into the pool, taking her time to enjoy the feeling. Once in she huddles up to me, making me blush a little.

Lapis:"Ooohhh this feels niiiiicccee"

We continued to lay in the pool in complete bliss before realizing that said pool only has about half the water left. We quickly made our way out of the pool. Once out I notice that Lapis had a deep blush and was looking right at me.

"See something you like~"

She blushed even harder but slowly nodded. I chuckled a bit and made my way over to my cloths. Once dressed I headed over to the room with Lapis following close behind. The moment we entered the room we were hit with the insane cold, causing us to shiver.

"S-Sapphire?"

Sapphire:"Hello Steven"

"A-Are you...d-doing okay?"

Sapphire:"I'm...fine"

Frost grows behind her.

"O-Okay...do you t-think you can stop f-freezing the r-room?"

Sapphire:"I'll...try"

Accepting her answer I head over to the other bed with Lapis and we cuddle up together under the blankets trying to stay warm.

"H-Hey Sapphire-"

Sapphire:"Even if I do Ruby won't listen"

"H-Huh?"

Sapphire:"You're going to say I should talk to Ruby, but it won't help"

"B-But she seems so upset"

Sapphire:"That doesn't matter. We can't stay mad at Pearl forever and she can't stay mad at me forever and then she'll come back an see that I'm right"

"A-Are you s-sure?"

Sapphire:"I can see the path of fate as it stretches toward the horizon. Ruby can't avoid the inevitable, she's just letting her emotions get out of hand"

"N-Not you though?"

More frost grows behind her.

Sapphire:"No"

We sit there in a awkward silence before Lapis shakes me.

Lapis:"Steven I think we should leave, you're starting to turn blue"

True to her words I can see my body take on a light blue shade.

"Y-Ya we should b-before I get frost b-bite"

We get up and head out the door. Once outside we walk around the plaza for a bit, trying to warm me up. We were then briefly blinded by my Dads van headlights as he pulled into the lot. Dad got out and greeted us.

Greg:"Hey stewball and Lapis, I brought dinner"

"Hey dad, how'd it go?"

Greg:"Well... he wasn't an ax murderer so that was good. What are you doing outside at this time of night and were's Garnet?"

Dad peeked his head into the room to see Sapphire siting on a mostly frozen bed.

Sapphire:"He's not gonna like that it's square"

Dad then closed the door and turned back to me.

Greg:"Oh boy, were's the other one?"

"She's pacing around in what use to be the pool"

I point at the now empty pool with an angry red midget pacing around in it.

Greg:"Something serious must be going on if it made Garnet split up"

Dad opened the back of the truck and the three of us sat in it.

Greg:"But hey we can still have a good time"

Dad opened the pizza box to show us square pizza.

"Square pizza!? What's wrong with this crazy state!?"

Greg:"Son there will come a time in your life when you learn to accept all pizza"

I take a slice and offer Lapis one, which she accepts.

"Why can't Ruby and Sapphire just make up?"

Greg:"Sometimes people that love each other can hurt each others feelings without meaning to, we should just give them sum space"

"But I think they can work it out if they just talk to each other"

Greg:"Everything will be better in the morning. Well all go to the Best Diner In The World were they'll eat the best breakfast in the world"

I give him a small smile.

"You think that'll help?"

Greg:"Nothing like a little breakfast to bring people together"

"You really are my favorite Dad"

I then took a bite of my slice.

Greg:"I knew this pizza would put me over the top"

...

We all sat in a booth waiting for the waiter to pass us the food. She was shaking a little and giving me quick glances, I knew this was gonna happen but was still hurt by her fear of me. Once the food was passed out said waiter quickly ran back into kitchen.

"T-Thanks!"

I looked down sadly but perked up when Lapis squeezed my hand, I gave a smile and squeezed back. We all sat in a awkward silence with Ruby staring at her food with a glare.

Greg:"What's the matter not hungry?"

"Gems don't need to eat Dad"

Greg:"Huh well Garnet likes to eat sometimes"

Ruby:"Gggrraa well Garnets not here!"

I continued to eat while Ruby through a tantrum. I glanced at my Dad who looks nervous.

Greg:"Mmhhmm oh boy this really is the best diner in the world"

I was about take a bite out of my bacon when the table started to shake. I glanced down to see that Ruby was the cause.

Sapphire:"Your shaking the table"

Ruby:"Oh ha I'm kinda surprised that you've felt anything at all to be honest!"

Sapphire:"I didn't need to feel, I saw"

Ruby:"Everything is just so crystal ggggrrr!"

Ruby started to shake the table violently. I quickly grab my food and hold it in the air, so does Dad and Lapis.

Sapphire:"This will pass, she'll eventually burn herself out"

Ruby stopped shaking the table and turned to Sapphire.

Ruby:"That's what you think! I am an eternal flame baby!"

Ruby summons her gauntlet and hits the table, sending it flying and making a big mess. Ruby then begins to argue with Sapphire. I watch with a twitch.

Greg:"Hey it's okay pal, we can still save this. Why don't we just bag these up to go and-"

I drop my plate and stormed out the diner with everyone looking at me surprised.

Greg:"Ah geese"

...

I was making my way over to the woods when I heard two familiar voices call out to me.

Ruby/Sapphire:"STEVEN!"

"I was so happy when Garnet said she was going to come on this trip! Homes been awful, here's been awful, I thought you wanted to have a fun time but you two have been doing nothing but argue with each other! I don't understand is it...is it me?"

Ruby:"No...Steven it's all us"

Sapphire:"But we made him feel like it was his fault. I keep looking into the future when all of this has already been solved, as if it doesn't matter how you feel in the present. No wonder you think I don't care!"

Sapphire starts to cry.

Ruby:"Sapphire...nononono this is all my fault I-I didn't want to look for a solution I-I just wanted to be mad, you're right, you're always right I was being stupid!"

Sapphire:"I don't think your stupid"

Ruby:"I'm...sorry"

Ruby brushes Sapphires hair to the side to show her single eye then cups her face.

Sapphire:"You honestly think I'm not upset about what happened? I was just trying to do the right thing"

Ruby:"I know"

Sapphire leans into Rubys hand and Ruby smiles.

Ruby:"You know what's nice about being split up"

Sapphire:"What?"

Ruby:"I get to look at you"

Sapphire pushes Ruby away laughing.

Sapphire:"Hahahaha be serious!"

Ruby:"There's my laughy sapphy"

Sapphire blushes.

Sapphire:"Shshsh you're embarrassing me in front of Steven"

I just smile at the two.

Soon the two are laughing. Ruby picks up Sapphire bridal style and smothers her with kisses.

I couldn't help but blush at the there interaction. Soon Dad and Lapis walk up to me.

Greg:"Well I payed for breakfast, and the damages to the booth. Anyway I'm all vacationed out, ready to call it a day?"

Lapis:"I sure am"

I was about to respond before seeing a bright light, and suddenly Garnet's back.

Garnet:"Not before we get our free ice"

I couldn't help but laugh.

...

"We're home!"

We walked through the front door and see Pearl on the couch with Amethyst comforting her.

Pearl:"Oh uh...you look like you all had fun"

"Ya it all worked out"

Garnet stepped forward

Pearl:"G-Garnet how are you?"

Garnet raises her hand.

Garnet:"Not now"

Garnet walks off.

Pearl:"She's speaking to me again, kind of"

Greg:"That really was a great trip"

"Can we go back?"

Greg:"Maybe one day, but not to that diner... oh boy"


	12. Chapter 12 Training Again

Normal Pov.

We see a warp pad go off in the crystal fields. Once the stream dies down we see Steven, Lapis, Amethyst, and little Oak standing there.

Amethyst:"So why are we here again?"

Lapis:"*Sigh* We're here to help Steven train with his powers. He wants to try and summon his shield today and maybe test out his plant powers a bit more.

Amethyst:"Oh okay then"

The group walks over to a clearing and see the two tree man just standing there looking bored.

Steven:"Hey guys how's it been!"

The tree man look at him, then at each other before pulling Steven into a massive hug.

Steven:"Hahaha I see you two missed me"

The two trees groan as a reply. Suddenly little Oak runs over and barks at them. This gets the trees attention, they set Steven down and start to inspect little Oak. It doesn't take long for the three to become friends.

Lapis:"They seem to get along quite well"

Amethyst:"Probably because Steven made him and the two can tell"

Steven:"Maybe but enough about that lets get to training"

Amethyst:"Well how are we gonna start?"

Lapis:"How about we first try to get Steven to summon his shield"

Steven proceeded to try and summon his shield but every attempt either gave him his plated bubble or his second form. Steven was starting to get frustrated which didn't help. After the 30th attempt Steven decided to take a break. He went over to a broken crystal that's laying on the ground not too far away and sat on it.

Steven:"Aaaahhhh this is pointless no matter what I do I can't seem to summon my shield!"

Lapis walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder.

Lapis:"Hey don't worry I know you'll get it eventually, you just need to keep trying"

Steven looked at Lapis for a moment before smiling.

Steven:"Your right"

Steven got up and walked back to the center of the clearing.

Steven:"But for now I think I should try something else for a bit"

Stevens vines shot into the ground.

Steven:"Like say... some gardening!"

Soon the ground started to shake, then multiple wooden hands shot out of the ground. Said hands began to tear the ground around them apart before pulling the owners of said hands out. What came out were five new tree man.

The five new tree man started to look around before focusing on Steven. They walked over to him and waited for his command.

Lapis:"Um Steven don't you think you made too many?"

Steven raised his vines out of the ground while looking at her with a blank face before shouting.

Steven:"NOPE!"

Soon Amethyst runs over with Oak and the other two tree man.

Amethyst:"Whoa where did these five come from?"

Steven gave her a grin.

Steven:"I made them"

Amethyst:"Why?"

Steven:"Cause I wanted to"

Soon the group watched as the new tree man meet the first two.

Amethyst:"You know you should give them names like you I did with Oak here"

Oak barks in agreement.

Steven:"You know that's not a bad idea"

Lapis:"I have to agree, plus it would make it easier to call for them separately"

Steven nods before turning to his creations.

Steven:"Alright you seven front and center!"

The seven tree man lined up in order from first made to last made.

Steven:"Alright I'm going to name each of you in order from first made to last understood!"

The seven nodded.

Steven:"Alright first one will be named Timber"

Timber nods.

Steven:"Second will be Thresh"

Thresh growls.

Steven:"Third, Sticks"

Sticks gives the finger.

Steven:"Fourth, Ivern"

Ivern gives a thumbs up.

Steven:"Fifth, Spruce"

Fifth groans.

Steven:"Sixth, Hazel"

Hazel waves.

Steven:"And finally seventh, Birchclaw"

Birchclaw laughs.

Steven:"Alright now that that's out the way I want you seven to go patrol the valley for a bit, I'll call one of you if I need anything"

They nod and wonder off, patrolling different areas of the valley.

Amethyst:"Now that you've named them and sent them off what will you do now?"

Steven:"Well I could go back to trying to summon my shield... or try and make this place have a little more green!"

Steven shot his vines into the ground again. The ground shook again before tree after tree started to rise from the ground. The trees themselves were massive, each one towered like a skyscraper. They were taller then Timber, and he's the biggest of the tree man!_(A/N:Just imagine a forest with massive trees__, small floating islands, __and big glowing crystals all over the place)_

Lapis:"Whoa..."

Amethyst:"Its beautiful..."

Stevens vines retracted from the ground and laid themselves on Stevens body. Steven himself looked a little winded and ready to collapse.

Steven:"Oh man... that took a lot more effort then I thought"

Steven stumbled over to the two before collapsing. Thankfully Lapis and Amethyst were quick to catch him.

Amethyst:"Dude you good?"

Steven:"Not really..."

Lapis:"You should rest for a bit"

Steven:"Ya... your right..."

Steven stumbled over to a tree and sat against it.

Steven:"Ugh... I think I'm gonna take a nap for a bit, mind making sure nothing bad happens while I sleep"

Amethyst:"Don't worry, we'll make sure nothing bad happens"

Lapis:"Ya you can count on us"

Steven gave them a smile before falling asleep.

Amethyst:"Alright so what should we do now?"

Lapis:"Well we could explore the forest Steven made while he sleeps"

Amethyst:"Sounds good to me, come on Oak lets-"

As Amethyst turns around she is met with Sticks and Ivern towering over her.

Amethyst:"Uh... hi?"

The two trees looked at each other, then back at Amethyst.

Amethyst:"Are you two just gonna stand there staring at-"

Before she could even blink Sticks grabs her and runs off into the forest with Ivern right behind him, all the while Amethyst is screaming.

Amethyst:"HEEELLLLPPPP!"

Lapis would have helped her if she wasn't in a similar situation. Spruce was trying to grab with one pair of limbs while the other pair was wrestling with the water hands Lapis made. The struggle lasted a few minutes before Spruce managed to restrain her and run off with his captive. Lapis continued to struggle and call out to Steven for help.

Lapis:"STEVEN!"

But her cry's went unanswered as she was taken deeper into the forest.

...

Hours pass and Steven begins to wake up giving out a yawn. As he gets up and stretch, he notices that Lapis and Amethyst are not there. Curious Steven ventures deeper into the forest to try and find them. As he was walking he noticed how the trees seem to have dull pink vanes that seem to pulse every minute, this made him a bit concern as to what it could be doing to the trees. After an hours search Steven was about to give up before realizing that they are his only ticket back home, coming to this realization Steven search frantically around the forest for the two. As he was running he heard screaming in the distance so he headed in the direction of the screams. Once he arrived he was very confused.

Amethyst:"For the last time I'm not a ball!"

Sticks and Ivern seem to be playing a game of basketball, using Amethyst as the ball.

Lapis:"Who knew you were this good at massages"

Spruce seems to be giving Lapis a very effective massage with one pair of hands doing the upper body and the other pair doing the lower half.

The whole thing made Steven very confused as to what he should do.

Steven:"What the hell..."

All activity stopped and everyone turned to Steven. There was a awkward silence for a few moments before Steven spoke up.

Steven:"So... anyone gonna tell me what's going on"

Lapis:"Well after you fell asleep me and Amethyst were going to explore the forest when these three-"

Lapis points to Sticks, Ivern, and Spruce.

Lapis:"Appeared out of nowhere and grab us. They brought us here and well played games with us. They used Amethyst as the ball for a basketball game while I kept score"

Steven:"And the apparent massage?"

Lapis blushed a bit.

Lapis:"Well Spruce offered and when I asked why he wrote in the ground _queen_, and seeing no harm in it I accepted"

Steven just stares at her then at Amethyst who is currently stuck in a makeshift hoop.

Steven:"Well if you guys are done I would like to get back to training"

...

Steven:"I still can't believe it took half an hour just to get you unstuck Amethyst"

Amethyst:"Well sorry if my butts too big"

Amethyst shakes her butt in Stevens direction while he gives her a blank stare.

Steven:"*Sigh* Lets just get back to training"

They arrived back at the clearing and immediately Steven tried to summon his shield.

Steven:"Come on... come on... come on"

A pink light started to appear at Stevens wrist and started to take on the form of a shield before disappearing, pissing Steven off.

Steven:"Dammit!"

In Stevens rage he grabbed a nearby boulder and chucked it out of the valley. While Steven was taking his anger out on the environment Lapis and Amethyst were coming up with a way to help Steven get his shield.

Amethyst:"Hhhmmm I may have a idea"

Lapis:"And what would that be?"

Amethyst summons her whip.

Amethyst:"We could try attacking him, forcing him to summon his shield!"

Lapis looks at her like she's insane!

Lapis:"You do realize he doesn't really need to summon his shield when he can tear you apart with his bare hands"

Amethyst deflates at that.

Amethyst:"Well I don't see you coming up with any ideas"

Lapis taps he chin in thought before coming up with a idea.

Lapis:"I have an idea"

...

Steven was currently punching a boulder when he heard a scream. Turning around he sees Amethyst attacking Lapis. Without even thinking Steven rushes over to stop the fight.

Steven:"What the hell is going on here!"

Amethyst:"Oh you know taking care of some Homeworld scum!"

Lapis:"For the last time I'm not with them anymore!"

Amethyst continues to attack Lapis while she dodges. Getting fed up with this Steven stomps over to Amethyst.

Steven:"*Growls* Amethyst I suggest you stop attacking her or _else_"

Amethyst looked at him with a bit of fear before stopping.

Steven:"Good"

Steven turn to Lapis and gave her a smile, never noticing Amethyst picking up a huge crystal. As Steven was walking over to Lapis a huge chunk of crystal came flying by. Seeing were that crystal's going Steven rushes past it and in front of Lapis raising his arm to shield her as the crystal is about to hit them.

_*Clang!*_

The crystal hits something, then it cracks followed by it falling to the ground in pieces. As Steven lowers his arms he turns to Lapis.

Steven:"Lapis are you okay?!"

Lapis:"Ya I'm fine, but Steven look!"

Lapis points to Stevens arm to reveal a pink plated shield_(A/N:Pink Stevens shield from Change Your Mind)_.

Steven:"I-I did it... I summoned my shield!"

Steven inspected his shield with excitement before rounding on Amethyst with a murderous look.

Steven:"*Growls* You've got three seconds to run..."

Amethyst chuckles a bit before dashing off into the forest with Steven in hot pursuit.

...

After a hour long chase Steven comes back carrying Amethysts gem stone nonchalantly.

Steven:"I think that's enough training for one day. Ready to head back?"

Lapis sweat drops at how nonchalant he is about Amethyst gem in his hand.

Lapis:"S-Sure lets go"

The two head over to the warp pad. As they were about to leave Steven remembered something.

Steven:"Oh ya... Oak! Come on Oak time to go!"

A minute passes before they see Oak running over to them barking wildly before stopping in front of them.

Steven:"*Picks up Oak with his free hand* Okay now we can go"

Lapis activates the warp pad and they leave in a stream of light.


	13. Chapter 13 Unexpected Outcomes

Normal Pov.

_*Location Galaxy Warp*_

Peridot:"Stupid broken warp"

Peridot is carrying a broken piece of the Galaxy Warp to the rest of the warp pad pieces, which looks more like rubble at this point.

Peridot:"First the Communication Hub"

Peridot lowers the piece she's carrying before picking up another with a beam.

Peridot:"Now this is busted again, those Crystal Gems are a menace!"

Suddenly one of the warp pads goes off and reveals said Crystal Gems.

Pearl:"*Points at Peridot* Aha! Look I was right, my plan worked perfectly"

Steven:"*Waves at Peridot* Hey Peridot"

Peridot:"What?! How did you know I was here?"

Steven:"Maybe I'll tell you if you come along quietly"

Steven then steps off the warp pad and walks over to Peridot with both hands raised in the air.

Steven:"We don't need to fight we can solve all of this peacefully if you-"

Before Steven could even finish Pearl interrupted him.

Pearl:"And you'll never get away with this!"

Steven looks at Pearl bewildered.

Steven:"Pearl what are you-"

Pearl cut him off again.

Pearl:"Prepare to be captured!"

Pearl then charged at Peridot before Steven could stop her. Peridot freaks out and fires an energy ball at Pearl but misses and hits Steven instead, which he barely noticed. Once close enough Pearl leaps at Peridot spear raised but Peridot quickly catches her in a beam.

Peridot:"Ha! Sorry but your going the wrong WAY!"

Peridot then throws Pearl back at the others with Garnet catching her. Peridot then tries to flee.

Garnet:"Get her!"

Amethyst rushes towards Peridot before doing a spindash to hit her. Peridot saw this and quickly dodged her, causing Amethyst to crash into the pile of broken warp pad pieces. A moment later Amethyst head pops out of the rubble shaking her head wildly before focusing on a fleeing Peridot with a scowl.

Peridot:"*Laughs* You missed!"

Peridot stops on a warp pad and tried to activate it before realizing it's broken.

Peridot:"*Growl* Doesn't anything work on this cruddy planet!"

Peridot was about to go to another warp pad but then a shadow loomed over her.

Steven:"Going somewhere?"

Peridot slowly turned around to see Steven inches away from her.

Peridot:"*laughs nervously* H-Hey Steven how are you"

Steven just grins at her revealing his dagger like teeth.

Steven:"Well I'm doing good, how about you"

Steven puts a hand on her shoulder causing her to tense.

Steven:"You wouldn't be trying to leave without saying goodbye now would you?"

Peridot:"*Nervous* W-Well I wouldn't be leaving if your friends hadn't just attacked me"

Steven:"*Sighs* Ya sorry about that, things have been a bit... difficult between everyone lately"

Steven then leans his face in until their noses were practically touching, causing Peridot to blush a dark green.

Steven:"Now you can come peacefully or... I might have to get _rough_ with you~"

Before Peridot could even respond a spear comes in between them causing both of them to jump away. They turn to see Pearl already summoning another one.

Pearl:"This ends now!"

Pearl leaps at Peridot for a second time and like last time was easily caught.

Peridot:"*Raises an eyebrow* Did you really think that was gonna work a second time around?"

Peridot then throw her at Steven before running to a functioning warp pad. Once on the warp pad she quickly warped away. When she was gone the whole place became quiet before Steven tossed Pearl to the ground and stomped away.

_*Time Skip To Beach House*_

When the gang arrived back home Pearl started talking.

Pearl:"Okay I realize that was a bit of a fiasco, but there is a silver lining to this! Now we know for sure that we can track her every movement!"

Pearl then walks over to the open escape pod.

Pearl:"When ever she uses the warp system her escape pod will instantly detect exactly where she is!

Pearl starts to tinker with the escape pod.

Pearl:"It's only a matter of time until we catch her and when we do we'll be able to close this chapter and finally move on, right!"

Pearl turns her head with a smile on her face, only to be met with Garnets blank face and Stevens deep scowl. The tense moments lasted until Amethyst broke it.

Amethyst:"Um Pearl I think-"

Steven:"*Growls* Pearl the only reason we have to go after her again is because of you!"

Pearls smile falters.

Pearl:"*Nervously*What do you mean?"

Steven looks at her, eyes glowing in anger.

Steven:"What do I mean?! I mean the fact that while I was trying to solve things peacefully with Peridot, you messed that up completely by straight up attacking her!"

At this point Steven was in Pearls face shouting with his vines raised in the air threateningly while she shrunk back in fear.

Steven:"Everything went down hill because of you! Even when I tried to negotiate with her you just up and throw a spear at her, almost hitting me in the process!"

Pearl:"*shakily*Y-You would have been fine"

Steven:"That's not the point! You should have been more considerate of your teammates! What if that was Garnet or Amethyst instead of me! What if you hit their gem stones by accident, then what!"

Steven then drops the bomb on Pearl.

Steven:"My mother would have been ashamed of you"

That caused Pearl to snap.

Pearl:"She may be ashamed with me but she will be horrified by an abomination like you!"

At that Steven looked ready to kill Pearl. Just as he was about to attack the escape pod started acting up, catching his attention. Pearl put her hand in the hologram and her eyes flashed with data.

Pearl:"It's Peridot. She's using the warps right now"

Pearl the makes a hologram of the Earth with her gem.

Pearl:"Look this is where she is"

The hologram pings a location at the top of South America.

Pearl:"We got her for sure this time. If she thinks shes got the upper hand then she has another thing coming, and that's us"

Pearl then heads over to the warp pad, bumping Steven along the way. Steven quickly grabs her arm, stopping her.

Steven:"*Growls* This isn't over"

Pearl yanks her arm free and walks away. All the while Garnet and Amethyst watched.

Amethyst:"*Looks at Garnet* And I thought you two had a problem"

Garnet:"..."

Amethyst:"Thankfully Lapis isn't here at the moment"

The two then join the others on the warp pad and warp away.

_*?*_

When they arrive they see a massive ship with the local vegetation grown on it.

Pearl:"Aha! She's desperate, look at this"

Pearl points to the ship.

Pearl:"She's cornered herself in there"

Garnet:"Hhmmmm"

Pearl:"We've got her just where we want her"

Steven:"Looks like nature claimed this ship"

The group makes there way to the ship.

Steven:"What I don't get is why Peridot would come here, a run down, barely functional ship"

Pearl:"She's desperate Steven"

Steven:"But she's also smart, she wouldn't come here without a reason"

Garnet nods in agreement.

Garnet:"True, so lets focus on the task at-"

Pearl interrupts her.

Pearl:"Ah yes the task at hand! No more messing around, lets go get Peridot!"

Pearl then runs ahead and into the ship. Once the others caught up with her they explored the inside. As they walk around they notice how much nature has claimed.

Steven:"At this point it's more like a green house then a ship"

Amethyst nudges him.

Amethyst:"Looks like Earth won this battle"

They then enter a room with what could be a console with a sort of gem on top. Suddenly the gem glowed and a holoscreen appeared with Peridots face on it.

Peridot:"*Cliche evil laugh* You gems really are as dull as dirt"

Pearl:"Your the dull one if you think you can fly this wreck!"

Peridot looks at them with a blank stare before responding.

Peridot:"What? Can you speak louder, some of these communicators are gunked up"

Steven sees a smaller gem on the console covered in vines, he then cleans it off before speaking into it

Steven:"Pearl said that your the dull one for trying to fly this wreck. *Turns to Pearl* Really Pearl, that's the best you could come up with"

Peridot looks at them for a moment before laughing.

Peridot:"Fly! I'm not using this vessel to fly, I'm using it to trap you!"

Steven:"It's kinda obvious"

Everyone looks at him while he waves around the room.

Steven:"This ship doesn't seem to have worked in ages and if you wanted it to fly you would have to do some repairs which would take time, if you could fine the parts needed that is"

Everyone was silent before Peridot spoke.

Peridot:"At least one of you is smart"

Suddenly the door slams shut.

Peridot:"Isn't this nice. No more Crystal Gems running around messing with my plans, destroying my things. Looks like I've got you just where I want you. How does it feel to be so easily outsmarted you CLODS!"

Pearl has a look of horror on her face.

Pearl:"No..."

Amethyst then takes gem microphone from Steven and speaks.

Amethyst:"Hey uh this is Amethyst, I don't appreciate being called a clod you clo-"

Peridot:"Enough talk! Prepare your selves for annihilation!"

Peridot then presses a button from where she is but nothing happens. Everyone looks at her confused while she looked confused as well before realizing she pressed the wrong button.

Peridot:"*Nervous chuckle* Wrong button"

Peridot then presses a different button and the gem turrets in the room turn on.

Peridot:"Naha it works! Yes die die die die-"

The turrets started to shoot at the group as the gems dodged while Steven stood there, completely unaffected by the shots. Seeing the others have trouble he summoned his shield to provide cover for them.

Steven:"Guys get under here now!"

The gems quickly hide under his shield. They stay put for a bit before Garnet notices a way out.

Garnet:"*Points to exit* This way!"

The others nod and make their way over while under Stevens shield. Once out of the room the shield disappears.

Amethyst:"Thanks Steven!"

Steven:"No proble-"

Suddenly a spike slammed into his face but broke apart upon contact, not even leaving a scratch on Stevens face. Then more spikes started to appear with the gems dodging them.

Garnet:"MOVE!"

The group run down the corridor dodging spikes along the way.

Peridot:"Spikes! How do you like my spikes!"

Once they make it to the end they see Peridot standing there.

Pearl:"*Glaring* Peridot!"

Pearl charges while Garnet tries to warn her.

Garnet:"Pearl don't just-*Growls in frustration*"

Pearl slices at Peridot which turned out was actually a hologram of her.

Peridot:"*laughs* You idiot"

Enraged Pearl continues to slash at the hologram until Garnet comes over to stop her.

Garnet:"Pearl stop that isn't helping"

Pearl:"I have to do something. I can't believe I walked us right into Peridots trap, THIS IS All MY-"

The ground starts to shake.

Pearl:"Fault?"

The floor below them opens up and causes everyone to fall through. Amethyst used her whip to grab one of the roof vines while Steven used his claws to perch himself on the wall. Steven looked down to see Garnet and Pearl stuck in some box room.

Steven:"You guys okay!"

Garnet:"*Distant* We're fine"

Suddenly the room seals shut, trapping Garnet and Pearl.

Amethyst:"Crud"

Amethyst and Steven hop down into a room above where Garnet and Pearl are stuck. They look around and see a screen with three big gears above it showing Garnet and Pearl trapped. They get closer and the screen shows Garnet and Pearl attacking the walls.

Steven:"We should get them out, before they start fighting each other"

Garnet and Pearl continue to attack the walls.

Steven:"Amethyst you got any-"

Pearl:"Garnet I'm sorry"

Amethyst:"Wait a sec"

Pearl:"Things weren't suppose to turn out this way"

_*In the trap room*_

Garnet punches the wall again.

Garnet:"Well get out of here somehow"

Pearl:"*Sigh* That's not what I mean. I really wanted to catch Peridot to make up for what I did. I wanted to prove to you that everything can go back to normal"

Garnet:"Catching Peridot wont make things go back to normal"

_*Back with Steven and Amethyst*_

Garnet:"This isn't about Peridot"

Amethyst:"Hey they're actually talking"

Steven:"Finally"

They heard a rumble and looked up to see the gears glowing. The gears then start turning causing the trap room to slowly close in on Garnet and Pearl.

Amethyst:"They're gonna get crushed!"

_*With Garnet and Pearl*_

The two start pushing against the walls, trying to stop them from closing in.

Pearl:"Please... tell me... how can I make you forgive me!"

Garnet:"You can't, you lied to me! You need to learn that there are consequences to your actions!"

Pearl:"I'm sorry! I-I couldn't help myself!"

The two could barely stand in the room now.

Garnet:"I don't want to hear your excuses!"

Pearl:"But it's true! No matter how hard I try to be strong like you... I'm just a Pearl... I'm useless on my own...*Starts crying* I need someone to tell me what to do"

Suddenly the room stops shrinking.

_*With Steven and Amethyst*_

Steven had climbed up the wall and yanked off the middle gear, stopping the trap completely.

_*Back to Garnet and Pearl*_

Pearl:"When we fuse I can feel what it's like to be you. Confidant, secure, and complete, your perfect, your the perfect relationship, your always together I just wanted to be apart of that"

Garnet:"Your wrong!"

Pearl looks up at her shocked.

Garnet:"I'm not as strong as you think. I fell apart over this, Ruby and Sapphire were in turmoil over how you deceived me"

_*Steven and Amethyst*_

Garnet:"I came undone"

Amethyst:"Whoa that really happened"

Steven:"Ya... it was a pain in the ass for me to deal with"

_*Garnet and Pearl*_

Garnet:"Its not easy being in control. I have weaknesses to, but I chose not to let them consume me. I struggle to stay strong because I know the impact I have on everyone. Please understand Pearl, you have an impact to. There are time were I look up to you for strength, you are your own gem. You control your destiny, not me, not Rose, not Steven, but you must choose to be strong so we can move forward. So I can trust you again.

Pearl is stunned by what Garnet said.

Pearl:"I-I understand, I can't give up anymore"

Garnet:"Good"

_*Steven and Amethyst*_

The two are sitting there watching the events play out.

Steven:"This is some good drama"

Amethyst:"Wish I brought some popcorn"

_*Garnet and Pearl*_

Garnet:"Pearl there is only one way out of this"

Pearl:"Only if your okay with it"

Garnet nods.

_*Steven and Amethyst*_

Amethyst:"Hey Steven! Think you can eat that gear?"

Steven looks at the gear on the floor then back to Amethyst.

Steven:"You want me to try eating it?"

Amethyst:"Ya man! Lets see if your jaw is as strong as the rest of you"

Steven shrugs and picks up the gear. As he was about to bite it the ground started to shake. Then Sardonyx came tunneling out of the floor before unfusing back into Garnet and Pearl. They all look at each other before running down a corridor.

_*With Peridot*_

Peridot was currently trying to get the ships console to function properly.

Peridot:"*Frustrated growling* Blast this old gem tech! Where did they go, why isn't anything working!"

Then an explosion happens behind her. She turns to see the Crystal Gems standing there ready to fight.

Garnet:"Surrender Peridot, you have nowhere to run!"

Steven:"Just come quietly Peridot, there is no need to fight if you just surrender"

Peridot looks to be in thought for a moment before aiming her arm blaster at them.

Peridot:"You really think this is the end? This is only the beginning... of my escape!"

Peridot then shoots the roof, making a big hole. Peridot then starts to fly out.

Peridot:"Well I'd love to stick around and watch another one of your pathetic attempts to capture me but I guess I'm just to smart for the likes of you lumpy clumpy clods!"

Peridot starts laughing as she gets away but stops when she stops rising. She looks down and to her horror sees Steven hanging on to her foot.

Steven:"Did you really think I would let you get away that easily"

Peridot starts to freak out and kicks Steven in the face repeatedly but it doesn't even move his head. Steven then starts to climb up her leg making her freak out even more. In a last ditch effort to get him off she shocks him, which surprisingly hurt him.

Steven:"Ow! That stings!"

Seeing a way to get him off she cranks the voltage up to max, which was over 10,000 amps.

Steven screams in pure agony.

Steven:"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Everyone cringes at the scream. Steven eventually lets go, do to the pain as Peridot flies away with a look of regret on her face. Steven lands on the ground hard and unconscious. The gems surround him in a panic trying to wake him up but nothing is working.

Amethyst:"He won't wake up!"

Garnet:"We need to get him to roses fountain NOW!"

The gems pick up Stevens unconscious body and carry it to the warp pad and warp away.

_*Roses Fountain*_

Once they arrive they quickly bring him to the fountain and lay him in it. Steven starts to glow but doesn't wake up.

Pearl:"He's not waking up, HE'S NOT WAKING UP!"

Garnet:"Pearl relax the fountain is healing him"

Amethyst:"Then why isn't he up an about already! The fountain should have healed him instantly, not take its time!"

Garnet:"You forget that Steven is corrupted, so the fountain may not be able to heal him right away"

Pearl:"Is there anything we can do?!"

Garnet is silent as she uses her future vision, but all she sees is blank. Frowning she replies.

Garnet:"All we can do is wait"

The group sit around and watch Steven as he slowly heals. Amethyst was siting next to his unconscious body when she remembered something that made her scared for her life.

Amethyst:"G-Guys!"

Garnet and Pearl turn to Amethyst.

Amethyst:"Who's gonna tell Lapis?"

Garnet and Pearl donged a look of horror.

Pearl:"Oh no..."

Garnet:"This won't end well"


	14. Chapter 14 Doctors Appointment

Normal Pov.

It had been a week since Steven got 10,000 amps shot through him and was put in roses fountain to heal. During that time the gems barely left his side but had to on occasion. It was around the second day when they decided to tell Lapis what happen.

Lapis was not happy.

The moment they finished telling her what had happened she nearly shattered them with a tsunami. The only reason she stopped was that her attack would have destroyed Beach City, Stevens home and she couldn't do that to him. Instead Lapis ask one of them to take her to him. She needed to see him herself. They agreed and Amethyst showed her the way. Now all Pearl and Garnet had to do was tell Greg... and hope he doesn't have a heart attack.

After thinking of how best to explain what happen they headed over to the car wash. They found Greg asleep in his van. Once they woke him up and told him what happened to Steven he simply walked into the car wash quietly then all you could hear were loud screaming coming from inside. The two didn't know what to do so they just left him there to vent. Once they got back to the fountain, they saw Lapis in the fountain holding Steven's head in her lap. The look of worry was all over her face while she looked down at him. She didn't even notice them come in. They honestly found the sight to be cute.

On the fifth day of Steven being out of it, healing in the fountain with Lapis at his side Pearl leaves to continue Connies training. They train at least three times a week and from what Pearl told them Connie was coming along quite nicely.

On the sixth day Garnet and Amethyst left to go deal with some gem monsters. Apparently, Garnet saw a group of them in the amazon thanks to her future vision.

The seventh day was the most interesting. Lapis thought it would be a good idea if she took off Stevens soaked dirty cloths. She felt they were in need of a desperate wash do to his long time in the fountain. Once they were off she sank with Steven all the way to the bottom, where they remained for the rest of the day.

Day eight, Steven finally awakened from his long sleep in the fountain.

Stevens Pov.

When I opened my eyes I found myself submerged in pink tinted water. I tried getting up only to notice a weight on my chest. When I looked down I saw Lapis sleeping peacefully on my chest. Just as I was about to wake her up she woke up herself. She blinked her eyes open and stared into mine. There was silence for a moment before she gave me a bone crushing hug.

Lapis:"Steven your awake!"

I tried to respond but all that came out were gurgles.

Lapis:"Can't speak underwater can you"

I nodded.

Lapis:"*Grabs my hand* Here let me help you out"

Lapis dragged me to the surface. Once topside I pulled myself out. After taking a few deep breaths I looked around to see where I'm at.

"We're at my mothers fountain?"

Lapis:"Yep, from what the gems told me Peridot shocked you with an unknown number of amps and you wouldn't wake up so they took you here to heal"

"How long was I out?"

Lapis:"About one Earth week"

My eyes shot wide open.

"A WEEK!"

Lapis:"*Nods* From what I was told the fountain was taking its time to heal you"

"*Sighs* That's to be expected"

Lapis:"What do you mean?"

"I'm not fully gem or human, I'm a hybrid that's been corrupted by some unknown device. Add all those factors together and well..."

I felt something touch my hand and when I looked down I saw Lapis's hand over mine.

Lapis:"It doesn't matter anymore... your here now and that's all I care about"

I couldn't help but smile as we clasp our hands together.

"Thank you Lapis... for caring about me, even after I became a monster"

Lapis smiled as she leans her head against me.

Lapis:"Your not a monster Steven, you have more humanity then anyone I know"

We stared at each other for what felt like hours before slowly leaning into each other. I could hear my heart or hearts since I can hear and feel more then one heart beating as my face inches closer to hers. Moments later we connected like magnets and the pull is all consuming. I was in utter bliss at the feeling of love Lapis was giving me washes through me, so I want to give her twice as much because I feel overwhelmed with my feeling of love for her. Soon the kiss turned into a heated make out session, with us getting a bit touchy with each other. We were so into it that we didn't hear the warp pad go off. Just as I was about to undo the top of her dress we heard a gasp that stopped me. We turned to see the other gems staring at us wide eyed and mouths agape.

"..."

Lapis:"...'

It was awkward until I saw the gems expressions slowly change. Garnet had a huge smile on her face while Amethyst was trying her best not to laugh but Pearl... looked disgusted. Pearl then marched over to us. All my senses started flaring and were telling to protect my MATE. I quickly stood up and pulled Lapis behind me just as Pearl came over.

Pearl:"Steven move"

"*Growls* No"

Pearl:"*Glares* Move now!"

"*Growls* Not gonna happen Pearl!"

Pearl seems to have had enough and summons her spear. My eyes became slits and I quickly charged. I tried to grab her spear but she dodged my grab and stabbed me in between the armor right where my heart should be. Pearl had a confident smile on her face before I grabbed her neck. She stared at me in disbelieve as I gave her an unholy look.

I don't know why but I loved the look of utter horror in her eyes. I slowly close my hand, watching as she claws at my arm trying to get free. Just before I poof her she spoke.

Pearl:"How are you not dead, I stabbed you in the heart!"

I give her a dark chuckle.

**"*Whisper* I have no heart"**

With that I poof her. Thankfully I was right next to the fountain so I put a foot in and it started to heal me of my wound. While I was healing I noticed that Garnet and Amethyst were looking at me with worry. Once fully healed I turned to Lapis. She looked at me terrified, I thought she was terrified of me but what she said next told me otherwise.

Lapis:"Are you okay! I saw her stab you in the heart, how are you not dead yet?!"

To answer her question I put her head to my chest and had her listen.

***Thump,Thump,Thump***

***Thump,Thump,Thump***

***Thump,Thump,Thump***

Lapis pulls her head away and looks at me with stars in her eyes.

Lapis:"*Whispers* You have three hearts!"

**"*Whispers* Yes but don't tell the others, I want to keep this a secret"**

Lapis nods. Just then the others come over to us.

Amethyst:"Steven you okay man?"

**"I'm fine, luckily she missed my heart by maybe an inch"**

Garnet:"*Sigh* At least your alright, that's all that matters"

**"By the way, what is up with Pearl. She's never straight up attacked me before even when we get into heated arguments so why now?"**

Garnet:"Well you see-"

Amethyst cuts her off.

Amethyst:"She's been staring at the painting of Rose for hours everyday and sometimes I hear her saying 'for Rose' on repeat like a broken record when ever she thinks she's alone"

Garnet:"Amethyst!"

Amethyst:" What I'm just telling him the truth!"

Garnet:"But you don't have to make her out to be a psychopath!"

Amethyst:"But she is! You've seen her during training, she purposely makes and fights against targets that are just as armored as Steven and ALWAYS aims for the head or the heart!"

There was silence until I spoke.

**"Is this true Garnet..."**

Garnet:"*Sighs* Yes Steven, it's true..."

**"..."**

Garnet:"Steven you must understand that Pearls been through a lot and that-"

**"She's your problem..."**

Garnet:"What?"

**"I said she's you problem. I'm not gonna waist my time trying to fix her problems when I have enough of my own to deal with as it is"**

Amethyst:"Like what, making out with your girlfriend~"

Lapis blushed while I gave a grin.

**"That is non of your concern"**

I then pick up Lapis bridal style and walked over to the warp pad and warped away.

_*Location Beach House*_

Once we arrived I headed over to my bedroom and placed Lapis on my bed before joining her.

Lapis:"*Blushing* W-What are we gonna do now?"

I chuckle before giving her a kiss.

**"Nothing much really, just cuddle with you for a bit before I go visit my dad"**

Lapis:"O-Oh I thought that we were-"

I put a finger to her mouth to shush her.

**"Not for a while. I don't want to rush things with you, I would only do that if you felt ready for it"**

Lapis gave me a loving smile at my words. She then gives me a suspicious look.

Lapis:"Wait... how did you know what else I was talking about?"

**"Amethyst"**

Lapis:"That makes sense"

After that we cuddled for a bit with some more kissing before I left to go see my dad.

_*Time Skip to Car Wash*_

When I arrived at the car wash I noticed that the vans back door was open. When I checked inside I saw my dad laying there crying with beer bottles all around him.

**"Dad you alright?"**

Dad slowly turned to me and his eyes were bloodshot from a lack of sleep. I kinda wished I didn't have a good sense of smell cause he just reeks of alcohol. He then rubbed his eyes before siting up.

Greg:"S-Steven is that you?"

**"Ya Dad it's me"**

Before I knew it Dad tackled me into a hug while he cried. We stayed like that for a few moments before parting.

Greg:"Your okay, the gems told me that you were shocked by some Peridot then rushed you to your mothers fountain"

Dad places a hand on my shoulder, well tried to since I was a few feet taller then him.

Greg:"You scared me half to death with that incident"

**"Don't worry Dad it'll take a lot more then that to take me down"**

Greg:"Well just to be safe I'm taking you to the hospital, this is non-negotiable"

**"Fine if it'll make you feel better"**

Greg:"It will"

Dad heads up to the driver seat while I hop in the back and drove off. It took a thirty minute drive to the hospital and by then it was already night time. When we entered the waiting room I practically gave everyone there a heart attack, the receptionist was no exception.

Receptionist:"C-Can I help y-you?"

Greg:"Yes I want a quick check up for my son here"

Dad points to me and I give a little wave.

Receptionist:"S-Sure just wait until y-your called"

We took our seats and waited. As we waited I noticed doctors rolling in two other patients that were bigger then your average man. Just as I was about to question them about those two patients my name was called.

?:"Steven Universe?"

I turn to the one who called my name and was surprised by who it is.

**"Mrs. Maheswaran, it's been a while"**

Priyanka:"Wait... Steven is that you?!"

**"Ya it's me"**

Greg:"Long time no see"

Priyanka:"Greg... what happened to your son, my daughter has been telling me of how Steven has become some kind of monster. But this... I never expected this"

**"*Growls* She called me a what!"**

Greg:"Steven calm down we came here for a check up, not for you to get angry"

I calmed myself with deep breaths.

Priyanka:"I'll have to have a word with her later"

We then proceeded down the hall. It took a few minutes but we arrived at a room with another patient.

Priyanka:"Sorry but I'm gonna have to do this with the other patient in here. Your one of three I have to deal with tonight, and don't worry about him *Points to patient behind curtains* he's out of it so you'll have your privacy"

I take a seat.

**"So how are we doing this?"**

Priyanka:"Well I'm gonna pull up your medical file and we'll go from there"

Priyanka heads over to a nearby computer and starts searching for all of my medical files. After a few minutes she looks on bewildered before turning to Dad.

Priyanka:"He has no medical records, *Narrows her eyes* why is that Greg"

Greg:"*Nervous chuckle* Well you see he wasn't born in a hospital... he was born in a cave"

Priyanka:"WHAT!"

Her shout startled everyone in the room, even the patient behind the curtain.

Priyanka:"He was born in a cave and you didn't think to bring him to a hospital right after!"

Greg:"He isn't exactly normal. Plus my wife died giving birth to him, she had me promise to protect him and make sure he had a normal live"

Priyanka:"That still doesn't excuse the fact that you didn't take him to the hospital to see if he was born with any problems!"

Priyanka turned to me.

Priyanka:"Steven... is this the first time you've been to a hospital, let alone a doctors appointment?"

**"What's a doctors appointment?"**

There was silence. Priyanka slowly turned her head to Dad, you could see him sweating bullets at this point.

Priyanka:"*Super sweat voice* You and I are going to have a talk outside Mr. Universe"

Dad gulped as he was pulled out the room by the doctor while I sat there waiting in the room. I could hear shouting outside the room but I wasn't really paying attention to what was being said. It was a good twenty minutes before Priyanka came back in.

**"Hey doc, where's Dad?"**

Priyanka:"I had him wait outside the hospital while I gave you your check up"

She then walks over to the computer and starts typing something.

Priyanka:"Now since this is your first time at the doctors we're gonna have to make a file on you so I suggest you get out of your cloths and put on this *Throws a medical gown to me*"

I catch it and give it a once over.

**"What's this for?"**

Priyanka:"It's for you to wear without your cloths"

I look at it again before throwing it away.

**"Don't really need it"**

Priyanka:"You need to wear it, I don't want you standing there naked"

**"That's not a problem"**

Priyanka looks at me confused.

Priyanka:"What do you mean?"

I stand up and drop my pants. She quickly turns away with a blush while I slip off the last few pieces of clothing I have on.

**"*Chuckles* There's no need to be shy, I have nothing to hide~"**

That seems to have struck a nerve with her as she turns around looking ready to scold me before noticing something.

Priyanka:"You have no genitalia"

**"I think I do but it might be behind the crotch armor"**

Priyanka:"Well in that case we can begin the check up and all the other stuff you missed over the years"

Hours passed as she gave me a my long over due check up **_(A/N: I'm not gonna write down all the different things doctors have to do just to make a medical file on a person so I'm skipping all of it but one)_**. Last thing we had to do before I could go was a-.

**"Physical?"**

Priyanka:"Yes Steven a physical, but we might as well skip that since we can't exactly do it"

She points to my crotch, I see the problem.

**"I could try pulling off the armor around there and see if I still do have my man hood"**

Priyanka:"I wouldn't advise that Steven it may be-"

I wasn't really paying attention as I grabbed the armor around my crotch and pulled. Surprisingly the armor came off quite easily, and what was behind was even more surprising.

Priyanka:"*Surprised* That's way bigger then dougs"

I looked down and saw my man hood out for the world to see... and it was huge!

Priyanka:"That will fill any girl with ease"

She walks over and examines my appendage.

Priyanka:"Steven how old are you again?"

**"Thirteen, why?"**

Priyanka:"Because a boy your age shouldn't have this so well developed"

I was about to question why when the other patients curtains fell to the floor to reveal a forced fusion.

**"What's that doing here?!"**

Priyanka:"That's the other patient, he shouldn't be out of bed!"

She goes over to it while I try to grow back my crotch armor as fast as possible.

Priyanka:"Sir please go back to your-"

She was cut off by the thing screaming and trying to grab her, thankfully I was there to stop it.

**"Now, now, no need to be like that~"**

I pull the thing close.

**"We can all be friends here if you behave~"**

The thing stops as if it's pondering what I said buying me enough time to grab my crotch armor off the floor and reattach it. Suddenly we hear a ruckus outside the room, the blinds by the window fall down to reveal another forced fusion.

**"There's two of them?!"**

Priyanka:"My third patient, What's he doing up to!"

**"Anymore patients that I should know about"**

Priyanka:"No that's all of them"

**"Good, alright you come on"**

I grab the one in the room and drag it outside to where the other one is. The moment I was through the door the bigger one is right against me and was being a little touchy with me, but I couldn't blame it since it has no eyes to see with.

**"Alright you two your coming with me, I got a place you can go to that is safe"**

I grab the other one and lead both of them out the building with Priyanka following shortly behind.

Priyanka:"I guess this means your appointment is over"

**"Ya sorry I couldn't stick around to finish my physical"**

Priyanka:"Oh it's no problem, I'll just say that your alright and you'll be good to go. Now I want you to come by at least once a week for a check up, from what you told me this change seems to have unpredictable side effects"

**"Alright doc I'll come by every week for a check up"**

Priyanka:"Good, now have a good night Steven. I still have to finish writing up your file"

As I was taking the two force fusions over to the van I noticed how they seem to act like children, with the way they're poking each other and me. Once we reached the van I ushered the two into the back with me.

Greg:"Hey Steven how was the-"

He stopped once he notice the extra passengers.

Greg:"S-Steven what are-"

**"Not now Dad we need to head back to the temple now"**

Greg:"O-Okay"

_*Time Skip to the Temple*_

When we arrived I lead the the two force fusions inside.

**"Lapis you there!"**

I see Lapis fly down from my room.

Lapis:"Hey Steven what took you so long and who are these?"

**"Just two force fusions I found at the hospital, I'm gonna take them to our training area to keep the tree man occupied. So a little help with that"**

She nods and we all head over to the warp pad and warp away.

_*Crystal Forest Valley*_

When the beam died down I let the two force fusions go.

**"Alright you two this will be your new home, and be aware that your not the only ones here"**

The two turned to me before nodding as best they can and run off into the forest.

**"Man what a day, I'm ready for bed"**

Lapis grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into a deep kiss.

Lapis:"Not before we have a little fun~"

All I can do is smile as we warped back home.


	15. Chapter 15 Transformation

Normal Pov.

Ever since the check up Steven been going to the doctors at least once a week like he was told to do. Priyanka would check him over to see if there were any new developments along with taking a few blood samples to see if his cells have changed.

They most certainly have.

From what Priyanka could tell his cells were repairing themselves, making Steven practically immortal. Steven wasn't really bothered by this since he kinda figured that, since he was half gem. But what shocked him more was that his cells were apparently changing, evolving, adapting even. When Steven questioned about this Priyanka had this to say.

Priyanka:"Your cells are changing depending on what you are exposed to. Such as how you were hit with enough amps to kill a hundred people your cells are adapting to the amps, your basically gaining an immunity to it. I theories that this will happen to anything dangerous that you come into contact with. Like say if you were poisoned, over time you would gain a resistances to it before becoming completely immune to it."

Steven:"So would that mean I'm now completely immune to electricity?"

Priyanka:"*Chuckles* Not quite, you may have a bit of a resistance but your not completely immune to it. You would have to be shocked repeatedly before you gain an immunity to it. *Narrows her eyes* That doesn't mean you should shock yourself until you gain said immunity"

Steven:"*Raises hands* Don't worry doc I don't plan on doing any of that"

Priyanka:"Good"

The rest of the evening went as normal as it could be for him before he went home.

_*Location Temple*_

When Steven arrived he noticed that all the lights were off, which didn't really bother him. He headed over to his bed for the night. Sadly Lapis won't be joining him since she wanted to go for a flight during the night. Once he was comfortable he took one more look around the room before closing his eyes. Then shot them back open when he smelled something. He jumped out of bed and followed the sent. He sniffed around the house until he found the source, a badly hidden Peridot who thought acting like a lamp with a lamp shade would hide her Dorito shaped hair.

Steven:"Peridot what are you doing?"

Peridot continued to act like a lamp not realizing she was caught.

Steven:"You do realize that I can see you right?"

Peridot:"I'm not Peridot, I'm a normal human lamp"

Steven:"*Rolls eyes* Ya and I'm super man. Seriously Peridot what are you doing here, you would never come here without a reason"

Peridot sighs as she drops the lamp shade.

Peridot:"Look Steven I have no other choice but to ask for your help. You and those Crystal Gems have destroyed all possible ways of getting off this planet, so I'm running out of options here!"

At this point she was on her knees begging Steven.

Peridot:"PLEASE Steven I need your help getting off this planet! Your my only hope, all the ships on this planet are broken, anyway of sending a message to Homeworld for extraction is destroyed, and my escort is missing! So please Steven help me get off this planet *Starts crying* I just want to go home!"

Peridot was full-on crying right in front of Steven, and to be honest... it was pulling at his heart strings.

Steven:"I don't know what you expect me to do"

Peridot grabs Stevens arms as she drags him to the warp pad and warps away.

_*Location Galaxy Warp*_

Once the warp stream died down Peridot continued to pull Steven to the Homeworld warp pad.

Peridot:"*Still crying* If I remember correctly you have healing powers right? I was hoping you would use them to fix the Homeworld warp pad so I can go home!"

She continues to cry while Steven just watched her with a look of sadness.

Steven:"I'm sorry Peridot but I can't fix the warp pad. My healing powers only work half the time and even then it only effects organics and gems, warp pads are non of those"

Peridot looks at him in disbelieve.

Peridot:"*Voice is so small* You mean I can't go home?"

Steven puts his hands on her shoulders.

Steven:"I'm sorry but... you can't"

That did it. Peridot started crying hysterically. She hugged him, using him as an anchor while he hugged back. They stayed like that for a few moments before Steven picked her up and walked over to a pillar with her in his arms. Once seated against the pillar he continued to hug Peridot while she cried into his shoulder. Some time passed while Steven continued to comfort Peridot, who eventually fell asleep in his arms. Just as Steven was about to fall asleep one of the warp pad went off to reveal Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl standing there with wide eyes.

Crystal Gems:"PERIDOT!"

Their shout woke Peridot from her sleep. When she looked around for the source of the noise she noticed the other gems in the room. She screamed and latched onto Steven with fear in her eyes. Just as the gems got close enough to attack they were met with a familiar shield. They see that Steven had summoned his shield to stop them.

Steven:"I suggest the three of you back off... NOW!"

The gems tensed not really wanting to back off but also knowing that trying to fight Steven was suicidal. After a minute of debate the gems backed off.

Garnet:"Steven... mind explaining what's going on"

Steven:"If you must know Peridot came by asking for my help with getting her home, sadly I can't"

Pearl:"Well if that's the case then you should just poof her and be done with it"

Steven:"*Growl* I still haven't forgiven you for what you tried to do a few weeks ago Pearl, so you better keep your mouth shut"

Pearl wisely shut her mouth.

Steven:"Good, now I want you guys to warp us home"

The gems were hesitant but complied.

Amethyst:"What are we going to do with her when we get back?"

Steven:"I'll watch over her for the night"

Once they all got on the warp pad they warped home.

_*Location Temple*_

Once home Steven spoke to them.

Steven:"I suggest you three turn in for the night, and don't worry Peridot won't try anything"

The gems reluctantly left. After they were gone Steven dropped the shield and looked at Peridot who was looking at him in wonder.

Peridot:"Y-You protected me, why?"

Steven:"*Sigh* Not everything has to be solved with violence"

Steven then boops Peridot on the nose, surprising her a little.

Peridot:"H-Hey!"

Steven:"*Grins* Besides, I don't hurt defenseless maidens"

Peridot:"*Blushes* I'm not a defenseless maiden! *Crosses arms* I can take care of myself thank you very much!"

Steven just laughs while he carry's her over to his bed. He then puts Peridot onto the bed before siting next to it.

Steven:"Well I suggest you get some shut eye, because you will most likely be interrogated by the gems tomorrow"

Peridot:"What makes you think I won't just run off when you fall asleep?"

Steven gives her a grin.

Steven:"Who says you would even make it out of the house"

Peridot decided it was best to get some rest before tomorrow. But before she went to sleep she had one more thing to say to him.

Peridot:"Steven I want to say I'm sorry for what I did to you all those weeks ago, I was desperate and when I saw my shocks affecting you I just... reacted. I hope you can forgive me"

With that Peridot went to sleep, leaving a stunned Steven who eventually went to sleep as well.

_*Time Skip to morning*_

It was a cloudy outside when Steven woke up and noticed that he was on the floor before remembering last nights events. He turned to see Peridot in his bed curled up into ball and shaking. When he got closer he saw that she was crying and mumbling in her sleep.

Peridot:"*mumbling in her sleep* N-No my Diamond I-I did as I was t-told, please don't s-shatter me!"

It took a moment for Steven to realize that Peridot was having a nightmare. Not wanting to see her suffer anymore he picked her up and held her in his arms before whispering sweet nothings to her so she would calm down. After a few minutes of her violently shaking she calmed down and seams to be sleeping peacefully now.

Steven:"*Whispers* Finally..."

Just then the front door opened and Lapis walked in. As she entered she looked around and spotted Steven with Peridot in his arms. There was a awkward silence before she spoke.

Lapis:"*Points to Peridot with a scowl* Mind explaining"

_*One explanation later*_

Steven:"And that's how things are now"

During the explanation Lapis expression changed from anger to sadness.

Lapis:"Wow I don't know what to say..."

Steven:"I'm still finding it a little hard to believe that she came to me for help, especial after what she did to me..."

Lapis was about to say something when the temple door opened and out came the others.

Garnet:"I hope you didn't start interrogating her without us"

Steven:"No I didn't I've been letting her sleep this entire time"

Amethyst:"Well wake her up so we can get this over with"

Steven sighs before looking down at Peridot. She seems so peaceful and he couldn't help but feel sad for her. So he shook her to wake her.

Steven:"*Whispers* Peridot it's time to get up"

Peridot twitched a bit before snuggling closer into Steven.

Peridot:"*Mumbles* Five more minutes..."

Steven couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

Steven:"*Chuckling*Come on Peridot you have to-"

Pearl had had enough with waiting and decided to wake her herself by shouting at her.

Pearl:"IF YOU DON'T WAKE UP NOW I WILL SHATTER YOU!"

Pearls shout was more than enough to wake Peridot, which lead to her jumping out of Stevens arms and running around the house looking for a place to hide before finding refuge in the bathroom. All was silent before Steven stood up and glared down at Pearl.

Steven:"Pearl I suggest you leave before I shatter you!"

Pearl looked at him for a moment before retreating into her room. With her gone everyone else made their way to the bathroom. Once there Garnet knocked on the door.

Garnet:"Peridot come out we need to talk"

Peridot:"No you'll just shatter me the moment I walk out!"

Garnet:"We promise not to shatter you so come out"

Peridot:"What's to stop you from breaking that promise the moment you have what you need from me!"

Garnet:"Because-"

Steven:"Because if she or the others try to hurt you I will hurt them"

There was silence before the door opened and Peridot peaked her head out.

Peridot:"You promise Steven?"

Steven:"I promise"

Peridot continued to look at him before opening the door the rest of the way and walking out. Once out she walked over to the couch with the others following before sitting down.

Peridot:"Alright... what do you want to know?"

Garnet:"What were you sent here for?"

Peridot:"I was sent here with Jasper and Lapis to check on the fusion experiments and the cluster"

Steven:"What is the cluster?"

Peridot looked hesitant before telling them.

Peridot:"The cluster... is a massive Geo weapon made up of millions of gem shards"

Peridot made a screen and showed a map of the planet and what appears to be a huge something on the east side of America.

Peridot:"The fusion experiments have already started emerging, It's only a matter of time before the cluster emerges"

Everyone was silent, not believing what they were hearing.

Steven:"You mean to tell me there is a forced fusion the size of the Earth under us right now"

Peridot:"Oh no, when it emerges it will be much bigger then the Earth. Right now it lies dormant in the Earths core, but when it emerges and takes its physical form it will destroy the planet"

The image on her screen showed what appears to be the cluster grow and break the planet apart. This unnerved everyone in the room.

Amethyst:"Is there any way of stopping it?"

Peridot:"We would need to build a machine to take us to the center of the Earth, preferably something that can survive temperatures of over nine-thousand degrees"

Lapis:"Well we shouldn't waste time, we should start finding parts for this machine"

Peridot:"We could start by using some of the machines here as parts"

Steven immediately started protesting.

Steven:"Oh no you are not using anything in this house, which would lead you to destroying the house. I have a better idea"

_*Time Skip to new location*_

We see that the gang had arrived at a barn.

Steven:"We can use this place for building the machine, and it should have a lot of scrap lying around"

Lapis:"Steven how do you know this place?"

Steven:"My Dad told me about it, apparently he inherited it form his family. But since he never uses it we can"

Peridot was inspecting the place before coming back to Steven.

Peridot:"This place will do, now we need to start planning on how we're gonna build the drill"

Luckily Amethyst comes out the barn with a chalk board for some reason. Peridot grabbed the chalk and started to sketch plans for the drill.

Peridot:"We'll need materials for a drill, mostly something that can survive high temperatures."

Garnet:"We could use the wreckage from the ship you arrived in"

Peridot:"That could work, but begs the question of where you gems put it all"

Amethyst:"Mostly my room"

Steven:"Alright then, we have a plan and the materials. Now we just have to build it"

Lapis:"Which will take a while"

Garnet:"And we can't leave Peridot unsupervised"

Peridot grumbles at that.

Amethyst:"So who's going to watch her?"

Steven:"I'll continue to watch her, not like I have anything better to do"

Lapis:"I'll watch her with you Steven"

Steven:"Really?"

Lapis:"Yup. Besides, *leans in close to his ear and whispers* this means we'll have some alone time away from the gems~"

Steven couldn't help but grin before mentioning something.

Steven:"*Whispers* But what about Peridot"

Lapis:"*Whispers* She'll be to busy building the drill to bother us"

They continued to whisper to each other while the others just watched. Amethyst couldn't take it anymore and called out to them.

Amethyst:"Hey how about you two stop planning your honey moon and focus!"

That snapped the two out of their conversation.

Steven/Lapis:"Sorry..."

After a few hours of planning the sun had set. Garnet and Amethyst went home while Steven and Lapis stayed to watch Peridot.

Steven:"It's getting late we should turn in"

Lapis:"Sure"

Peridot:"Very well"

The three went inside to look for a place to sleep. After a while they only found a pile of hay in the corner. Seeing no other option the three laid down in it, which was surprisingly comfy. Lapis snuggled up to Steven as did Peridot, which Lapis wasn't happy about but Steven was to tired to care.

Steven:"Night guys"

Lapis/Peridot:"Night Steven"

And so the three drifted off to sleep.


	16. Chapter 16 Birthday Boy

Normal Pov.

It's been a few days since construction on the drill begun. During that time Steven tried his best to keep the peace between Peridot and the gems, so far it's worked... for the most part.

Pearl had gotten into a argument with Peridot which lead to a giant robot competition that quickly turned into a fight with Peridot winning due to her robot being bigger, stronger, and more heavily armored then Pearls more nimble one. The sight of the two competing in giant robots was almost poetic.

After that bit of entertainment we immediately went back to building the drill, which was harder to make then they thought.

We now come to today, Stevens 14th birthday!

Steven was actually a bit exited, thanks to the surprise Garnet gave him. Garnet had woken him up at midnight and told him of how Ruby and Sapphire had met. Steven was really surprised that it all started because of his mother attacking Sapphire, not the best first impression in the world. But because of the attack it lead to Ruby trying to protect her and accidentally fusing with her. After they fused on accident Ruby was gonna be shattered for it but Sapphire got her out of there before it happened, which lead to meeting his mom again but on a better note. Steven was really into the story and thought it was quite romantic with a bit of thrill added to it.

When morning came around things got a bit awkward and tense due to Pearl bringing Connie with her to the party. Apparently Pearl thought that the two could make up and be friends again. Steven was hesitant at first but decided to just give it ago, if it didn't work out then that was that. As of right now Steven was talking with Lapis while Garnet and Amethyst set the party.

Steven:"*Grumbles* I still can't believe Pearl invited Connie when she knows things are not good between us at the moment"

Lapis:"*Shakes her head* That's just her ego making her think she knows what's best. I'm still surprised that you even let Pearl come"

Steven:"*Sighs* Not like I have much of a choice when she just shows up and says she's apart of the party. I tell ya she needs help with that ego or whatever makes her think she knows best"

Lapis:"*Kisses his cheek* Just ignore them and you'll make it through without maiming someone"

Steven:"*Grumbles* That was one time and you know she had it coming"

The two's conversation was interrupted by the sound of a horn. They turn to see Greg's van pull up to the barn. Greg soon comes out the van. Steven heads over to greet his dad with Lapis not far behind.

Steven:"Dad you finally made it! I thought you might have fallen asleep back at the car wash"

Greg:"Did you really think I would miss you special day?"

Steven:"Well..."

Gregs expression took a dive before Steven started laughing.

Steven:"*Laughing* Just kidding, man you are so easy to fool!"

Greg:"*Chuckles* Why you, come here!"

Greg then tackles Steven trying to get him to the ground but Steven simply wouldn't budge one bit. After a few minutes of trying Greg gave up.

Greg:"Man you're one tough cookie, you sure have grown since last year... a little too much if you ask me"

Steven:"*Chuckles* Your just jealous that I'm taller and have more defined muscles then you"

As if to prove his point Steven flexed his right arm and his muscles bulged with strength. Greg took on a somber look and looked down in defeat. Soon Connie came out the back of the van in a red sun dress with a large hat _(A/N: If you've already seen the episode then you know what she's wearing)_. She soon spotted Steven and went over to him.

Connie:"Hey Steven... it's been a while"

Steven just looked at her with a blank expression.

Steven:"Connie..."

There was a awkward silence between the two, thankfully Greg interjected.

Greg:"*Nervous chuckle* Anyway, Steven how do you feel now that your 14?"

Connie's eyes widened while Lapis simple raised a brow.

Connie:"Wait Steven your 14?!"

Steven:"Ya why?"

Connie:"I'm only 12 and 3/4, your older then me"

Lapis:"*Chuckles* Jasper is gonna be mad when she learns a _gemling_ put her on the ropes"

Steven:"Gemling, what's that?"

Lapis looked at him surprised.

Lapis:"Wait you mean the gems haven't told you about gemlings at all?!"

Steven shook his head.

Steven:"Not really, they prefer to keep me in the dark about a lot of things"

Lapis soon gained a angry expression.

Lapis:"Steven, gemlings are the byproduct of two gems being intimate with each other. They are what humans would consider a baby, even newly made gems are considered gemlings as well"

This information was a shocked Steven. For so long he thought that gems were only made by the injectors, but are now also made by two gems being in love. This revelation got Steven thinking.

Steven:"So your telling me that gems could just make other gems this whole time. If that's the case then why are they making kindergartens instead of this method?"

Lapis:"*Sigh* The reason why is because it takes too long. When a gemling is born no matter the type they are always small and take years to grow into a proper gem of their cut. The Diamonds saw this as not efficient enough so it was practically useless to them. But kindergartens were being made even before Yellow Diamond was made and was only forbidden when she saw it as a waste of time"

Steven was greatly disturbed by the fact that the Diamonds have forbidden a way of life. Then he started to think about something that filled him with worry.

Steven:"What happened to the gemlings that were born before and after Yellow Diamond forbid it?"

Lapis:"*Eyes downcast* You don't want to know..."

Steven was about to press for more answers when Greg intervened.

Greg:"Alright enough about that lets focus on today, more importantly Stevens birthday to be exact"

Connie:"Ya lets focus on that instead of something so unimportant as that"

What Connie said seemed to strike a nerve with Lapis as she gave her a murderous glare before flying away. Steven called out to her but she was already gone, he quickly turned to Connie with a glare.

Steven:"*Growls* I think it's best if you keep your mouth shut from now on"

Connie opened her mouth to retort but wisely shut it after seeing Steven bare his sharp teeth. Seeing the tension, Greg tried to distract Steven before he did something bad _(A/N: Or something a lot of fans and writers would love to see happen)_.

Greg:"*Nervous chuckle* Hey why don't we take a trip down memory lane huh stewball?"

Greg pulled out a navy blue book with a yellow star in the center with Stevens name on it. He opened the book to reveal pages filled with photos of Steven in front of a cake.

Greg:"Lets see we have *Pulls first page* infant, *Next page* baby, *Next page* toddler, *Next page* adolescent, *Next page* adolescent, *Next page* adolescent, *Next page* adolescent, wow looks like you stagnated there buddy. But not anymore since well..."

Steven:"*Raises a hand* I get it Dad..."

It was awkward before Connie spoke.

Connie:"Mr. Universe can I talk to you *Points to the van* over there"

Greg:"*Confused* Um sure i guess... be right back kiddo"

When the two left Steven decided to head back over to the barn. He then started to look around before spotting Peridot.

Steven:"Hey Peridot!"

Peridot turns to him before smiling with a small blush.

Peridot:"H-Hey Steven how are you doing?"

Steven:"Doing well at the moment, what about you? You've been in her for a while aren't you gonna join the party?"

Peridot:"Party's aren't my thing, besides someone has to work on the drill while everyone else is partying around"

Peridot then went back to building the drill.

Steven:"Alright then I'll see you later"

Steven then made his way out the barn and over to where the others are gathered. As he was walking out he noticed Amethyst had shape-shifted her legs to be longer and was putting up a 'Happy Birthday' banner at the entrance of the barn. She notices him and calls out to him.

Amethyst:"Hey Steven mind telling me if this looks good here, I can't hold this up forever"

Steven:"Looks fine Amethyst"

Amethyst looks relieved as she staples the banner there. As Steven was about to go off somewhere his father came to him carrying the birthday crown and cape.

Greg:"Hey Steven how's the birthday boy doing?"

Steven:"Fine at the moment..."

Greg notices that Stevens seems a little down at the moment so he asks why.

Greg:"What's got you so down son?"

Steven:"I'm worried about Lapis, she seemed really hurt by what Connie said"

Greg:"Well maybe she was around when this Yellow Diamond gem forbid gemlings and witnessed what happened to them. It most likely had a impact on her and left its scars on her"

Steven:"Maybe your right *Sighs* I hope she's okay..."

Greg then elbows his side lightly.

Greg:"No worries, when she comes back you can comfort her about it. As for right now *Puts the crown and cape in Stevens arms* you got to get ready"

Steven looks at the crown and cape in his arms, then back at his father.

Steven:"I don't think this is appropriate for me now since..."

Greg:"Nonsense, now go inside and put on the birthday suit"

Greg then tries his best to push Steven inside the barn, but was failing miserably. Greg was pushing with all his might but Steven didn't move a inch, hell Steven didn't even realize his dad was trying to push him until he looked down at his father. Seeing his father struggle Steven reluctantly went inside the barn out of pity for his old man.

Greg:"Now wait here until we call you"

With that Greg closes the barn door, leaving Steven to stand alone in the barn with the crown and cape in hand. Seeing as he didn't want to disappoint his family he put on the crown and cape. The crown went on easily but the cape was a bit of a hazel since it didn't want to work with his cloak so he ditched the cape. If he was being honest he felt kinda ridiculous with the crown on. After waiting a few more minutes before he heard his dad call for him.

Greg:"Okay Steven open up!"

When he opened the barn door he saw the gems _(A/N: Minus Peridot and Lapis)_, his dad and Connie standing not to far away. They all had smiles on their faces but he could tell Pearl and Connies were forced. Garnet had a big cake shaped like a cookie cat in her hands with two numbered candles on it spelling out '14'. When he fully walked out his family gained nervous looks, which confused me a bit.

Steven:"What?"

They were all silent until Amethyst spoke.

Amethyst:"Um Steven are you feeling alright?"

This made Steven even more confused.

Steven:"Ya I'm fine, why?"

Amethyst:"Well..."

Amethyst then points to something and as Steven looks back he sees a big thorny vine with an armored tip waving in the air.

Steven:"What the..."

He then notices three more thorny vines waving behind him and as he follows the vines he sees that they're coming from his back.

Steven:"Why do I have big vines coming out my back?"

Seeing as they seem to be attached to him he tried moving them around. It was difficult but he managed to and in his opinion it felt weird. He then tried to make them disappear and they did... by retracting back inside his body.

Steven:"Okay this is gonna take some getting use to"

When he looked back at his family they had varied expressions. Garnet seemed neutral about it, Amethyst was chuckling, Pearl looked horrified, Connie was disgusted, and his father looked worried.

Greg:"Steven are you sure your alright?"

Steven:"Don't worry I'm fine, this is just gonna take some getting use to that's all"

Garnet:"Enough questions about Stevens new quirk, we have a birthday to celebrate!"

With that the party had begun. They did many things such as bat-mitten were Steven decided to use his new 'appendages' to hold more rackets, the game was very one-sided. Hide and seek which Steven lost due to his size and the fact that he's pink, making it impossible to hide.

As the hours went by everyone was having a blast but as the sun started to set did the last event happen which was dancing to music. Amethyst was doing her own moves while Pearl was like a ballerina, which makes you wonder who invented it in the first place. Garnet and Greg were picking out music with Garnet making sure Greg didn't choose something bad. While this was happening Connie was trying to get Steven to dance with her but he simply said no.

Connie:"Why won't you dance with me?"

Steven:"Because I don't feel like it"

Connie:"Oh but if Lapis asked you to dance you would do it in a heartbeat!"

Steven:"So?"

That just made Connie even more angry and was about to say something, she will more then likely regret when Lapis returned.

Lapis returns and seemed a lot happier then before and looked to be looking for something or someone. When she spotted Steven she rushed over and gave him a hug.

Lapis:"Hey Steven sorry that I left all of a sudden earlier. I really needed to calm myself down before I hurt'd someone"

She finished that with a death glare directed at Connie, which sent said girl running. Lapis then noticed Stevens new additions.

Lapis:"Since when did you have those?"

Steven:"Earlier today. They just appeared out of nowhere, spooked the gems a bit though"

Lapis chuckled at the thought. Then they both heard the slow music playing and Lapis extended her hand to Steven.

Lapis:"Would you have this dance with me good sir~"

Steven took her hand.

Steven:"Of course milady~"

And the two danced to the slow music. They continued to dance completely oblivious to their surroundings, only focused on each other. As they danced their gems began to glow and as their faces inched closer they felt the warmth from each other, their lips connected and consumed by a bright flash.

? Pov.

We opened our eyes and immediately noticed that something was off. Everything was shorter then we remember. When I raised a hand in the air it wasn't like before. My hand all the way up the forearm was covered by stone armor that was a light purple with clawed fingers. The rest of the arm was dark purple skin. What got me going was the fact that I had another pair of arms as well. And when I looked at the rest of my body I was amazed. My collar and chest was completely covered in light purple armor while my abdomen was all skin and a dark purple. My thighs were dark purple while the rest of the legs were covered on light purple armor with the toes being pointed. When I looked down I noticed what I'm wearing. I was wearing a crop top with a mix of blue and purple colors, I had a torn white scarf around my neck that went to my collar. I also had on some bluish purple skirt that covered half of my thighs. Surprisingly my thorny vines are only covering the armored parts of my body. The look itself made me feel like one of those street punks. _(A/N:I'm trying my best with this fusion thing so cut me some slack)_

_"What am I?"_

I hear my voice for the first time, it's deep with a echo, but somehow still sounds feminine. My voice was in all honesty beautiful to me.

When I took in my surroundings I spotted the gems and they looked shocked. Then Garnet gained a huge smile and walked over to us. When she was close enough I realized just how small she is... or how big I am. When I looked down she barely reached my chest and that's when I started to understand what has happen.

_"G-Garnet am I-"_

I didn't get to finish cause Garnet had wrapped her arms around me in a bone crushing hug. Even though she was far smaller and more then likely weaker then me, she almost broke my back.

_"*Struggles* Garnet... can you... let... go of... ME!"_

Garnet:"O-Oh sorry!"

Garnet lets me go and I rub my lower back, man does that women have some strength.

_"Next time don't try to crush me"_

Garnet:"I make no promises"

I couldn't help but chuckle at that, but when I saw the others come over I grew a bit nervous. When they were close enough I gave them a little wave.

_"*Nervously* Hey guys..."_

The others just stood there looking at me. Then Amethyst came up to me and hugged my leg_(A/N: Due to height difference)_.

Amethyst:"Wow look at you, your probably bigger then Opal!"

I just laugh, leave it to Amethyst to lighten the mood.

Amethyst:"So what do you call yourself? Stapis, Lapiven, Purple-"

Amethyst just kept going on and on with different names that were a combination of Steven and Lapis or my color. Good thing I thought up a name already.

_"Amethyst please I already have a name"_

Amethyst:"Alright, so what do we call you?"

_"You can call me... Tanzanite"_

Garnet and Amethyst couldn't stop smiling, Garnet was even squealing. I've never heard Garnet squeal before. Mr. Dad looked a bit nervous but seams to come around with a smile on his face. Everyone seams to be happy, even excited about this new development.

Pearl didn't share their enthusiasm.

Pearl:"*Disgusted* Well now that introductions are out of the way I suggest you two unfuse"

_"*Glaring* I'm sorry what?"_

Pearl:"I said you two should unfuse, who knows what kind of damage you two can cause together"

_"*Growling* Last I checked I decide what I want to do. You have no right to order me to do what you want, you defective Pearl!"_

That seemed to have struck a nerve cause she now has a small twitch under her eye. But before Pearl could do anything else Garnet got between us.

Garnet:"Alright that's enough, both of you!"

Pearl looked hesitant to obey but backed off none the less. When everything seamed calm enough Garnet continued.

Garnet:"Now I suggest we turn in for the night, it's been a long day and some of use need to sleep. So we will continue this in the morning, Understood?"

I, along with everyone else, nod.

Garnet:"Good. Tanzanite you should go, we'll clean up the party stuff while you get some sleep"

_"Alright Garnet, I'll see you in the morning"_

I make my way to the barn. Once inside I was about to close the barns door when I say one last thing to the group.

_"GOOD NIGHT EVERYONE!"_

With that said I shut the door. As I was heading to the pile of hay in the back that I call a bed I passed by a mirror and got a good look at my face.

It was beautiful, the strong feminine jaw, round cheeks, small little nose, and little blue freckles covering my cheeks and nose. My eyes sclera was black like Stevens but the iris was purple with the pupil being like a cats. My hair was long and spiky, reaching to my shoulders. It was multiple shades of purple, with a bit of blue and pink here and there. There were thorny vines in my hair that just added to the wild look. Surprisingly there was no armor anywhere on my face, this kinda had me relived. Then I opened my mouth and saw two rows of teeth that were BOTH sharp. Sharp enough to cut through anything soft. Combining the looks with the rest of my four armed body I got too say.

I'm one sexy ass punk.

I was brought out of my musings by a gasp. Turning my head I see Peridot staring up at me with a huge blush on her face.

Peridot:"W-Who are you?!"

_"*Giggles* Relax Peridot I mean you know harm, and you __kinda __already know me"_

This confused Peridot.

Peridot:"What do you mean, I've never seen you before?"

_"Yes you have as two separate individuals, Steven and Lapis"_

Peridot looked ready to pass out by this revelation.

Peridot:"S-STEVEN, LAPIS!"

_"Yup it's us"_

I walk over to her while she just stands there, trying to comprehend what she just heard.

_"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed. Night!"_

I flick her nose on my way to the hay beds. As I got comfortable I could hear Peridot shouting random noises as I slip into a deep sleep.


	17. Chapter 17 Trip To The Moon

Normal Pov.

It's been a few days since Tanzanite was formed and she's not unfused since. At first everyone thought that they'll be unfused by morning... they were wrong. In-fact they didn't show any signs of separating at all. Garnet was happy that the fusion held strong while the others had their own feelings about this.

Pearl was of course not happy about this what so ever and has tried on a few occasions to split them, only to either be thrown through a wall or straight up poofed.

Amethyst was pretty chill about this. She honestly thought it was okay in her book, as long as they don't go all Sugilite on everyone.

Peridot if she was being honest actually liked having them around, it gave her a warm feeling in her chest every time she sees them. She liked that feeling and hoped it would continue.

Greg was unsure about the whole thing but accepted it.

Even Connie tried to split them by saying how Stevonnie was better in every-way and could beat Tanzanite with ease. This of course angered Tanzanite and if it wasn't for the gems quickly restraining her_(A/N:Just barely mind you)_ Connie would more than likely be nothing but a red paste on the ground.

Which leads to now. Everyone_(A/N:Connie not included)_ was on a hillside looking at a beautiful sunset while Tanzanite was playing on Stevens ukulele, and trying her best to not break the small object in her big hands. Peridot was next to her flustered and trying to understand why everyone stopped working.

Peridot:"Why is nobody doing anything, we're on a bit of a deadline at the moment with cluster emerging at anytime!"

_Tanzanite:"Peridot relax, theirs no need to worry. We'll get the drill done but right now you need to relax. Maybe even sing a little"_

Peridot:"I'm not singing"

_Tanzanite:"Come on you'll love it, plus I want to hear that beautiful voice of yours sing*Wink*"_

Peridot:"*Blushing* I'm going back to work"

Peridot was about to leave when Tanzanite grabbed her arm.

_Tanzanite:" Peridot it wont hurt to sing and relax a little. Besides you've been working on the drill non-stop, even you need a break every once in a while"_

Tanzanite then pulls Peridot into her arms, causing the green bean to blush uncontrollably.

_Tanzanite:"Also I want to hear you sing along with me~"_

Peridot:"I-I don't know how to sing!"

_Tanzanite:"*Chuckles* You don't have to know, just do it. I'll start us off"_

Tanzanite starts playing her ukulele.

_**(A/N: I'm too lazy to write the song so I'm just gonna skip it)**_

The group look at the completed drill.

**_Tanzanite:"Not bad"_**

Garnet:"Nice work Peridot"

Garnet taps Peridots, startling said gem.

Peridot:"Gah!"

Peridots reaction causes the others to laugh. Tanzanite suddenly pulls Peridot into a hug.

Peridot:"*Small smile* We really did it, huh"

**_Tanzanite:"Yes we did Greene~"_**

Paridot blushes at the contact but then suddenly looks worried.

Peridot:"Oh wait, I need to check something!"

Peridot then runs off.

**_Tanzanite:"*Sighs* She's come so far, it feels like just yesterday she was trying to kill us"_**

Pearl shakes her head.

Pearl:"No no, that was several weeks ago"

Tanzanite just stares at her blankly.

**_Tanzanite:"I didn't mean it literally Pearl..."_**

Then Peridot started shouting from inside the drill.

Peridot:"Coordinates! *Pops head out of drill* We still need the clusters exact coordinates in order to drill!"

This caused the others to grow worried while Pearl was in deep thought.

Pearl:"There's a diamond base that may hold that information, but getting there is going to be difficult"

**_Tanzanite:"How come?"_**

Pearl:"Because it's not accessible by warp pad, and it's on... *looks to the moon*"

**_Tanzanite:"The moon?!" _**

Pearl:"Yes the moon. But we have no way of getting there"

**_Tanzanite:"*Thinks* Maybe we do..."_**

Tanzanite then heads over to a certain pink lion.

**_Tanzanite:"Lion I need you to try and warp us to the moon"_**

Lion looks at them, then rolls over.

**_Tanzanite:"*Annoyed* Lion if you don't warp us to the moon you won't get to nap anymore or have lion-lickers again, *Growls* also if you continue to disobey me I WILL neuter you"_**

Lion sprung to action almost immediately, giving a loud roar with glowing eyes.

**_Tanzanite:"Good boy" _**

Everyone soon hops on lions back as he begins to run down a hill and opens a warp portal.

_*Meanwhile in the warp*_

**_Tanzanite:"Pretty cool right!"_**

Peridot is screaming along with the others. Suddenly Lion opens another warp inside a warp causing them to go faster.

_*Moon base*_

A portal opens up and spits out everyone. They slide across the floor before colliding with a wall.

**_Tanzanite:"Lion! You okay boy?"_**

Peridot crawls out of Lions mane.

Peridot:"Get me off of this furry freaaaAAAHHH!"

Peridot trips and falls on her face.

Peridot:"*Grumbles* Ow"

**_Tanzanite:"*Laughs* Nice one Peridot!"_**

Peridot just grumbles while the others look around the room. Tanzanite kisses Lions forehead before joining the others. Garnet and Pearl light up their gems, using them as flashlights.

Pearl:"We made it"

Amethyst spots what looks like a door and runs over to it.

Amethyst:"Hey look over here, I think this is a door!"

Amethyst puts her hand on what must be the control panel causing the door to open into space. The room starts to vacuum of air before Amethyst closes the door.

Amethyst:"YEP! We on the moon!"

Pearl:"*Glares* Amethyst please, don't blow us into space!"

Everyone continues to look around the room for something. As they looked around Tanzanite spots a mural of some blue lady.

**_Tanzanite:"Is that... Blue Diamond?"_**

Peridot then comes up next to them.

Peridot:"Yes that is Blue Diamond and if their all here then *Gasps*"

Peridot then runs over to another mural with Tanzanite following. They stopped in front of a mural of a yellow women.

Peridot:"Behold Yellow Diamond! Isn't she magnificent?"

**_Tanzanite:"Meh I give it a five out of ten"_**

Peridot looked at her as if she was spouting blasphemy.

Peridot:"*Horrified* How can you say that! The Diamonds are the great matriarchs that govern Homeworld and the outer colonies, we were made to serve them!"

**_Tanzanite:"Sorry Peridot but I don't have the same opinion as you do about the Diamonds"_**

Peridot looked ready to explode from what she was hearing but composed herself remembering that Tanzanite was made up of Lapis AND Steven, Steven didn't really know a lot about the Diamonds so it was understandable. Peridot then spots something.

Peridot:"Hey I think that's a control surface over there"

Peridot leads Tanzanite over to the other side of the room and crouches down.

Peridot:"I think this is right, the material is different from the surrounding stone. I think if I just do THIS!"

Peridot then press a certain area of stone and it starts to glow. One by one stone platforms rise up becoming a makeshift staircase to the top. They then start walking up the steps.

Peridot:"This is incredible. Only the most elite of the elite can enter these sanctums, we are literally walking in the footsteps of the Diamonds!"

They continue up the steps and reach a room with a sphere in the center.

**_Tanzanite:"What is that?"_**

Garnet:"It's not what we came here for"

Amethyst:"Can we hurry this up, this place gives me the creeps"

And so they continue up the steps until they reach the top. The room they were in was huge, the entire room was a glass dome that gave a clear view of the moons surface and Earth. In the center was a big chair with a control console in front of it.

**_Tanzanite:"Whoa we really are on the moon"_**

Tanzanite heads over to the others that are near the control console with Peridot gushing over it.

Peridot:"*Excited* Oh my goodness, it looks to be brand new! I mean it's a relic by today's standards but oh it's so elegant, so simple, so perfect!"

Amethyst:"So how do you turn it on?"

Peridot:"*Mood drop* I have no idea"

Tanzanite looks around and sees the chair. Seeing no problem with it she sits in it. She then sees a panel on the right in the shape of a hand and places hers on it. The console in front comes to life, startling the others.

**_Tanzanite:"Huh didn't think that would do anything" _**

The others turn to her and Peridot starts to freak out.

Peridot:"YOU CAN'T SIT THERE!"

**_Tanzanite:"*Raised eyebrow* And why not?"_**

Peridot:"That chair is only for the most elite gems, you can't go around sitting where an elite would sit"

**_Tanzanite:"Well their not here now right~"_**

Tanzanite pats a spot between her legs. Peridot is hesitant but sits in the spot and giggles while Tanzanite wraps her lower set of arms around Peridot. Tanzanite then spots a little device to her left and picks it up.

**_Tanzanite:"What's this?"_**

Peridot sees the device and her eyes widen.

Peridot:"Put that back!"

Peridot then places her hand on the chairs panel, causing said chair to move closer to the console. Peridot then types on the console.

Peridot:"This is a really old system"

A screen appears in the air with diamond folders on it.

Peridot:"Got to find the right file AHAH!"

Peridot selects a file and screen changes to show a map of Earth.

Peridot:"Cluster, cluster, cluster, where are you cluster"

The map zooms in on a location in America towards the west coast.

Peridot:"There you are. Looks like the beta kindergarten in facet 9, it's the smallest of the two not nearly as impressive as yours Amethyst"

Amethyst:"Uh thanks"

Pearl:"But where is the cluster now"

Peridot:"*Typing on the console* Hang on"

The screen changes to show how deep the cluster is in the planet.

Peridot:"It's in-bedded deep in the mantle, relative to the barn it's roughly 2500 units we need to do is feed this data to the drill and we should be all set"

Pearl:"*Happy* That's it then, mission accomplished!"

**_Tanzanite:"Nice work Peridot"_**

Peridot blushed at the praise.

Amethyst:"Great, lets get the heck out of here"

While the others were leaving Tanzanite still had some questions.

**_Tanzanite:"Hey Peridot what else can this console do?"_**

Peridot perked up at this.

Peridot:"Well this console was used to plan the colony *Types a few things* here look"

The screen changes back to a map of the planet, causing the other gems to stop and turn around. Red dots start to appear on multiple areas of the planet.

Peridot:"So here's a map of all structures that were originally built on Earth. All told this probably only accounts maybe 5% of what was originally planned"

**_Tanzanite:"What was the plan?"_**

Peridot:"Well lets take a look"

Peridot presses a button and screen becomes a globe of planet Earth. Holes start appear across the planet and giant spires appear on the surface. The planet appears hollowed out, exposing the core with the spires connecting to it. Everyone looked horrified while Peridot looked amazed.

Peridot:"Ta-da, a finished Earth colony. Wow look at this, 81 kindergartens, 67 spires, a galaxy warp in each facet, efficient use of all available materials. What were you thinking shutting this operation down, it could have been GREAT!"

Garnet:"No your wrong!"

Peridot became confused.

Peridot:"What do you mean? It's perfect, look at it!"

Pearl:"We are looking at it"

Amethyst:"Ya this plan stinks!"

Garnet:"The completion of this colony would have meant the extinction of all life on Earth!"

Peridot:"But think of the good it would have done, the gems that would have been made, our empire expanding!"

Pearl:"*Glares* Rose Quarts believed all life was precious and worth protecting!"

Peridot:"Well if she wanted to protect it, she did a lousy job. There be no cluster if the Earth stayed a colony, now theirs no colony, and theirs gonna be no Earth so thank you Rose Quarts, you doomed the planet!"

The gems were glaring at Peridot while Tanzanite was shaking. Tanzanite was shaking more and more violently as the seconds went by before she split. This caught the others off-guard and they backed away as Lapis and Steven came to their senses.

Steven was the first on his feet and staring right at Peridot. Peridot suddenly felt scared for her life.

**Steven:"*Growls* Peridot..."**

Peridot:"*Scared* Y-Yes Steven?"

Steven leaned in real close until his face was inches away from hers, staring a hole into her very soul.

**Steven:"*Growls* I suggest you watch what you say, that mouth of yours can get you into a lot of trouble. *Narrows his eyes* Do you understand?" **

Peridot could only nod as Steven walked over to Lapis and help her up. He then turned to the others and spoke.

**Steven:"We are leaving"**

The others nod as they make their way out the room. Lapis stops by Peridot as she spoke.

Peridot:"Did I say something wrong?"

Lapis:"Peridot you forget that Earth is Stevens home, a home that his mother and many others fought and died to protect. *Sighs* He thought you would understand that"

With that Lapis walks away leaving Peridot alone. Peridot looked downcast as she realizes what she said and how it affected Steven. She was about to go catch up with the others before spotting the device she told Tanzanite to put down. She quickly grabs it and runs off to catch up with the others.


	18. Chapter 18 Message Received

Normal Pov.

The group had just gotten back from the moon base and were discussing what to do next.

Amethyst:"How much longer until we can use the drill?"

Pearl:"Well with the new coordinates we got from the moon base we should be ready to go, but we should perform a few test first"

While the gems were talking Steven was watching Peridot, who was making her way inside the barn with something in her grasp. Curiosity getting the better of him he followed Peridot. Once in the barn he found Peridot holding some strange device and the moment she saw him she quickly hid it behind her back, making him suspicious of what it could be.

Steven:"Peridot what's that you got behind your back?"

Peridots eyes widen. She quickly replies.

Peridot:"*Nervous* N-Nothing important!"

Steven narrows his eyes.

Steven:"Then why are you hiding it from me?"

Steven starts walking towards her while she backs up.

Peridot:"*Sweating bullets* I-I'm not-"

Peridots back hit the wall as Steven closed in and was only a few inches from her.

Steven:"*Temper rising* Lies! Your hiding something and I want to know what it is!"

Peridot was backed into a corner and running out of options. Before she could even attempt to do something Steven reaches behind her and snatches the device from her.

Steven:"What is this!?"

Peridot:"It's nothing!"

Steven:"Then you won't mind if I-"

Steven tightens his hold on the device causing it to groan in protest.

Steven:"-Crush it!"

Peridot:"*Panicked*NO DON'T!"

Steven:"THEN WHAT IS IT!"

Peridot:"IT'S A COMMUNICATOR!"

Silence falls over the two as Steven processes what she just said.

Steven:"...What?..."

Peridot was hesitant at first but elaborated.

Peridot:"It's a communicator, more specifically a direct line to the diamonds"

Steven takes a few steps back while looking at Peridot in disbelieve.

Steven:"Your still trying to go home..."

Peridot:"Steven that's not-"

Steven:"Your still loyal to Homeworld..."

Peridot:"You got it all wrong I was gonna-"

When Peridot looks Steven in the eyes she could see the hurt and betrayal in them, the sight brought an ache to her chest.

Steven:"I tried so hard for the gems to accept you *Face morphs into a scowl* and you turn your back on me!"

Steven tosses the device out the door before stalking towards her. Once he's in range he grabs her by the neck and raises her in the air with her clawing at his arm.

Steven:"*Growls* I should shatter you right here and now!"

Steven tightens his grip around her neck causing her to gasp. When it seemed like she was gonna poof Steven dropped her.

Steven:"*Growls* But that would be too easy"

Steven grabs her arm and drags her over to the truck that is parked inside the barn. He then opens the door and tosses Peridot inside.

Steven:"*Growls* Your gonna stay in here until I figure out what to do with you"

He then activates the child safety lock before closing the door, leaving a pleading Peridot inside. Once he makes it outside the barn he picks up the communicator and walks over to the gems. When he presented the communicator the gems gasped.

Pearl:"She took a direct line to the diamonds, from the moon base! What was she thinking?!"

Amethyst:"*Pissed off* After everything we gone through she's still out to get us! Oh I'm taking back all my cool nicknames for her. So long Peri, hello... AAAHHH I'M TO MAD! *Grumbles* I'll think of something later"

Lapis:"*Disbelieve* I can't believe she would do this. I thought she changed, but I guess I was wrong"

Steven places a hand on her shoulder before pulling her into a hug so the two can find comfort in each-other.

Steven:"She fooled us all and she will pay for that"

Suddenly the sound of a truck horn filled the area. Everyone turned in the direction of where the noise was coming from and found it to be coming from the barn.

Steven:"*Scowls* Seems she found out how to use the trucks horn"

Steven continues to look in the direction of the barn with a scowl on his face. Garnet noticed this and decided to talk to him.

Garnet:"You opened up to her and gave her a lot of your trust"

Steven:"*Growls* I did and it blew up in my face! Thousands of years of war and sacrifice to free the Earth and she could have destroyed all of that! I trusted her and she does this, she betrayed me."

Pearl:"Look on the bright side, at least you got the communicator away from her before she did any real damage"

Steven gave a small nod while still having a frown on his face. The suddenly the side of the barn explodes and out comes Peridot in the Peribot.

Steven:"How did she get out?!"

Suddenly a truck door smashes into the grown near them, showing the window was rolled down.

Peridot:"Did you really think such a primitive vehicle could hold me!"

Peridot then uses her robot to grab the truck from inside the barn and tosses it at the group. The gems scatter and Steven throws Lapis out of the way, but sadly gets a truck dropped right on top of himself. Everyone one looks at where Steven once was and start to panic but then the truck starts to rise. They all watch as the truck is lifted into the air with a very pissed off Steven underneath.

Steven:"*Eyes glowing* You wanna go throwing trucks around fine, LETS SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT!"

Steven then throws the truck straight at Peridot. The truck hits its mark and sends Peridot to the ground. Steven wastes no time and charges right at her. Peridot only had a moment to recover before Steven on top of her and delivering devastating punches. Thankfully the robots armor held strong against the blows, but it won't last for long. Acting quickly Peridot uses one of the Peribot arms she grabs Steven and throws him into the barn, then a section of the roof comes apart and falls right on top of him. Knowing that he won't stay down for long she quickly makes her way over to the gems. The gems summoned their weapons and try to stop Peridot but were simply knocked aside. She grabbed the communicator and made a run for it.

Pearl:"She's getting away!"

Garnet:"After her!"

Amethyst shape-shifts into a helicopter and the two hop in and fly after Peridot, leaving Lapis behind. Lapis runs over to the barn to see if Steven's okay. Once there she starts digging through the rubble, trying to find Steven.

Lapis:"*Worried* Steven! Are you okay, say something!"

Lapis continued to dig until she saw a dull pink glow underneath. The glow started to get brighter and brighter until a armored hand broke through the rubble. Lapis wasted no time in grabbing the hand and pulling. She pulled with all her might but he wouldn't budge, so as a last ditch effort she summoned her water wings and flapped as hard as she could while still holding onto his hand. After a few moments she managed to free Steven.

Lapis:"*Worried* Steven are you alright?!"

Steven shook his head before looking at her.

Steven:"*Pained* I'll be alright, thankfully my armor took most of the damage. Now where's Peridot?"

Lapis:"After you were trapped she went and took the communicator. The gems went after her but I don't know if they'll be able to stop her"

Steven slowly gets to his feet, with Lapis's help of course, and made their way outside.

Steven:"Can't really expect them to stop her, I better go after her then"

Once outside Steven took a few steps on his own and when he went to stretch his arms he couldn't really move his left one. Looking down he found that his left arm was just dangling there.

Steven:"*Surprised* Looks like she did more damage then I thought"

Lapis:"Should I be worried about this?"

Steven:"Not really. I know how to fix this thanks to Mrs. Maheswaran teaching me a few things about injuries and how to treat them"

Reaching down he grabbed his dislocated arm and yanked it back into its socket with a audible cracking sound. He then rotated said arm to make sure it still works properly.

Steven:"Now then lets go get Peridot"

Steven then starts to grow and another layer of armor begins to form across his body. Once done it reveled that Steven had entered his stage 2 form.

Steven:"Think you can keep up?"

Lapis smirks before summoning her water wings and taking to the sky's.

Lapis:"I should be asking you that~"

With that the two raced off to catch up with the others.

_*Peridot and the Crystal Gems*_

Peridot was running as fast as the robot could go, which wasn't really that fast to begin with. She turns and sees the gems closing in fast so she started grabbing random objects in her path and tossing said objects at them. Amethyst tried her best to dodge but eventually got hit and was sent spinning out of control. With the gems out of the way Peridot was home free! Or so she thought.

Steven:"*Roars* PERIDOT!"

Peridot pulls up a screen that shows what's behind her and almost has a heart attack! Steven is not too far behind her and is gaining fast! She starts to throw anything she could find at him but he either dodges or shoves it out of his way without stopping. Peridot is running out of ideas and to make matters worse she was suddenly struck by something.

Peridot:"What the?!"

Peridot looks around and spots Lapis in the skies shooting baseball sized water bullets at her.

Lapis:"How do you like that!"

Getting frustrated Peridot starts to throw things at the water gem. Lapis dodged as best she could and looked to be in the clear before getting hit by a boulder.

Lapis:"AAAHHH!"

Peridot:"Take that you clod!"

Steven:"*Eyes wide* LAPIS!"

Steven rushes over to where Lapis might land and Peridot uses this as a chance to escape. Steven looked around before spotting Lapis on the ground not moving. Steven begins to panic as he gets closer. Once he's close enough he drops to his knees and pulls her close.

Steven:"*Panicked* Lapis speak to me, LAPIS!"

Lapis was still unresponsive.

Steven:"*Pulls her close* Lapis please be okay"

Suddenly the gems show up and quickly surround him.

Amethyst:"Steven are you okay?!"

Garnet:"What happened?!"

Pearl:"Did you get Peridot?!"

Steven:"SHUT UP!"

The gems quickly fall silent. Steven then stands up with Lapis in his arms and puts her in Garnets arms.

Steven:"*Low voice* Make sure she's safe"

Steven then walks off.

Amethyst:"Where are you going?"

Steven turns to her and she flinches. His pupils are slits and glowing brightly, mouth plate retracted exposing his razor sharp teeth.

Steven:"**TO HUNT PERIDOT**"

_*Peridots location*_

Peridot had made it to a open field. She looked around making sure she was alone. Sighing in relieve she was finally alone. She was about to get out the robot when she heard a roar. Turning in the direction of the roar she froze in horror.

It was Steven.

AND HE WAS BEYOND PISSED!

The boy was charging towards Peridot on all fours, teeth bared. Peridot quickly got into a defensive stance. When he was close enough she threw a punch but he simply jumped over it and collided with Peridot, sending her to the ground. Steven started to rip and tear the robot to pieces, even brought out his four armor tipped vines from his back to puncture holes into the Peribot. Peridot was doing everything she could to get Steven off and stay alive at the same time! Seeing that the robot was lost Peridot quickly grabbed the communicator and crawled her way through one of the arm tubes. Once fully through she quietly makes some distance between herself and Steven. Once far enough away she quickly activates the communicator and have it call her Diamond. The communicator then floats in the air before expanding into a giant screen that revealed a Yellow Pearl.

Yellow Pearl:"This is the Yellow Diamond control room. Who authorized you to make this call?"

Peridot:"No one, b-but it's an emergency!"

Yellow Pearl:"That's no excuse to use the direct Diamond communication channel"

?:"Pearl"

Yellow Pearl:"*Startled* Y-Yes my Diamond?"

?:"Why is there someone on the Diamond line?"

Yellow Pearl:"I don't know, I was just about to tell her that-"

?:"I'll take it from here"

On the screen a giant yellow hand reaches down and picks up the communicator and lifts it up until it showed a tall yellow gem, who must be Yellow Diamond, who's looking at something else on another screen.

Peridot:"My Diamond, *Diamond salute* Peridot reporting in"

Yellow Diamond:"Which Peridot?"

Peridot:"Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG. I'm sorry to contact you this way but all other forms of communication have been destroyed and-"

Yellow Diamond raises a hand for her to stop.

Yellow Diamond:"It says your behind schedule on your mission to, *Pops up another screen with information* how is the Earth?"

Peridot:"I-It's full of live"

Yellow Diamond:"*Disgusted* Organic life. And where is the Jasper I assigned you and why aren't you calling from the ship?"

Peridot:"The ship was destroyed"

Yellow Diamond:"By who?"

Peridot:"By-"

Suddenly a loud tearing sound filled the air.

Yellow Diamond:"What was that?"

Peridot quickly turns around just in time to see Steven rip the Peribot in half with his bare hands. He then slowly turns to Peridot with murder in his eyes. Peridot starts to back up while Steven stood there before charging her. Peridot tries to use her right limb-enhancers blaster mode but by the time she got a shot ready Steven was too close. He grabs the limb and crushes it in his hands before grabbing her neck. In a last ditch effort she tried shocking Steven with her left limb-enhancer but the shocks didn't do as much damage as last time, if anything it might as well have tickled him. Steven then grabs the limb enhancer that's shocking him and crushes it as well before raising her into the air with his armor tipped vines aimed right at her.

Steven:"*Growls* Did you really think you would get away that easily!"

Peridot:"*Chokes* S-Steven wait-"

Yellow Pearl:"What is that thing!"

The two turn their heads to see a horrified Yellow Pearl and intrigued Yellow Diamond looking right at them. Seeing this Steven drops Peridot and gives his full attention to the screen.

Steven:"*Offended* I'm not a THING!"

The Pearl trembled while the Diamond leaned in to get a better look.

Yellow Diamond:"Then what are you?"

Steven:"I use to be human, now... not so much"

The Diamonds eyes widened at this information.

Yellow Diamond:"Fascinating, and how did you become like this?"

Steven:"*Bitter* Well it happened because of a gem device going off with me near it, and the results were this"

Steven gestured to his appearance. The Diamond was now even more intrigued.

Yellow Diamond:"What facility did this device originate from?"

Steven:"From what I could remember the place was in a jungle, somewhere on the eastern continent"

Yellow Diamond:"I know that facility. It was a base that was developing technology that would enhance a normal gem and make them more powerful. But the reports say it was destroyed during the war, somethings not right here..."

The Diamond started pulling up logs of the facility before being interrupted by Peridot, who finally worked up the courage to speak.

Peridot:"*Nervous* M-My Diamond I believe we are getting off t-track"

The Diamond was silent for a moment before sighing.

Yellow Diamond:"*Sighs* Fine. What is the status of the cluster?"

Peridot:"It will emerge shortly..."

Yellow Diamond:"Good. Well finally get some use out of that miserable planet"

Steven:"*Angered* Hey that 'miserable planet' happens to be my home!"

The Diamond simply rolls her eyes at his anger before focusing back on the subject.

Yellow Diamond:"Thank you for your report Peridot. There will be a ship sent to pick you up and take you to your next assignment. *Mutters* If Steven doesn't shatter you before then"

Peridot:"W-Wait! I wouldn't call just to waste you time with a report"

Yellow Diamond:"You already have"

Peridot:"There's another reason why I called. The real reason is that I believe we should terminate the cluster!"

Steven was surprised by this.

Yellow Diamond:"Why?"

Peridot:"The organic ecosystem creates resources unique to this world. We can't sacrifice all that potential just for one geo-weapon. I have plans that will-"

Yellow Diamond:"I've heard enough. I don't care about potential resources"

Peridot:"What?"

Yellow Diamond:"I want my cluster and I want that planet to die, just make that happen"

Peridot:"NO!"

What Peridot said caught everyone by surprise.

Yellow Diamond:"Are you questioning my authority?"

Peridot:"*Panicked* I-I'm questioning your objectivity, *Diamond Salute* my Diamond"

Yellow Pearl:"Well-"

Suddenly Yellow Diamond stood up from her seat, startling the Pearl, and raising the communicator up.

Yellow Diamond:"You are out of line"

Peridot:"*Nervous* I just think-"

Yellow Diamond:"I'm not interested in the puny thoughts of a Peridot. You have disrespected this channel and my time with your presence and you would do well to-"

Peridot:"But-"

Yellow Diamond:"*Shouts* Shut your mouth!"

Peridot shrinks back and starts to whimper in fear.

Yellow Diamond:"You have failed at every stage of this mission, your only chance to redeem yourself is to obey this simple order! You are to leave the cluster to grow, it will tear apart the Earth and I will take immense satisfaction in erasing that hideous rock off of our star maps! IS. THAT. CLEAR."

By this point Peridot was whimpering mess with tears streaming from her eyes. Steven couldn't stand the sight of this and immediately took action.

Steven:"*Angry* Why don't you back off you long necked bitch!"

Yellow Diamond made a face that showed her rage.

Yellow Diamond:"*Pissed* Who are you to tell me what to do ORGANIC!"

Steven:"The guy that's going to shove his foot up your yellow ass if you don't shut the fuck up!"

Her face morphed even more in rage.

Yellow Diamond:"*Beyond pissed* YOU DARE TO-"

Steven:"Oh I dare you damn giraffe!"

Her face was so twisted in rage that it was hard to recognize what it looked like before.

Yellow Diamond:"*Anger at its peek* I WILL SQUASH YOU LIKE THE BUG THAT YOU ARE!"

Steven:"* Anger at max* I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY BITCH!"

Just then Yellow Diamond said something that pushed Steven to the edge.

Yellow Diamond:" YOU ALONG WITH EVERYONE YOU HOLD DEAR WILL DIE, AND I'LL BE SURE TO MAKE YOU WATCH AS THE ONE YOU LOVE THE MOST SUFFER BEFORE FINALLY KILLING THEM!"

That did it, that sent Steven into a frenzy.

Steven:"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

His roar made the Diamond take a step back and place a hand over her gem. For the first time in a long time she felt true fear and her Pearl was no better, practically poofing from the sound alone. She quickly reached out and cut the communication. The moment the screen shut off the communicator exploded, leaving nothing behind.

All was silent as Steven stood there trying to calm down with a terrified Peridot curled into ball not to far away. After calming down a bit Steven went over to Peridot and knelt down beside her. She saw this and shut her eyes tight in fear.

Steven:"It's okay Peridot I'm not going to hurt you, and I'm sorry..."

Peridot perked up at this and looked at him.

Peridot:"Y-Your sorry?"

Steven:"Yes I'm sorry for what I did to you earlier. I should have let you speak but my emotions got the better of me and I jumped to conclusions, for that I'm truly sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Peridot uncurled herself and looked at Steven in surprise. He's genuinely sorry for what he did and she couldn't help but forgive him.

Peridot:"I forgive you"

Steven beamed and was about engulf her in a hug, but she raised a crushed limb-enhancer to stop him.

Peridot:"But I want you to carry me back to the barn!"

Steven looked at her in confusion.

Steven:"Why?"

Peridot:"Because you basically destroyed half of my limb-enhancers and I'm not gonna go walking around with only my lower limb-enhancers, so your going to carry me all the ways back. Got it!"

Steven gave a blank stare before nodding.

Peridot:"Alright now give me a second"

Peridot proceeded to detach the limb-enhancers on her arms and then did the ones on her feet. Once done Steven simply stared at her in surprise.

Steven:"Wow, your one short slice of pie ain't ya"

Peridot pouted at this before going around and climbing his back. Once she thought she was secured she spoke.

Peridot:"Now grab my limb-enhancers so we can go, I want to be back before sunrise"

Steven:"*Rolls his eyes* What ever you say oh great Peridot"

Steven reached down and picked up her limb-enhancers. Once they were in his hands he ran off at top speed with a screaming Peridot on his back.


	19. Chapter 19 Unwanted Guest

Normal Pov.

A warp pad went off in the strawberry battlefield. Once the warp stream died down it reveled Steven and Lapis. The two quickly step off the warp pad and make their way through the fields while holding hands and talking.

Lapis:"I still can't believe you insulted Yellow Diamond herself"

Steven:"*Chuckles* Well I did"

Lapis:"Still the fact that Peridot was trying to negotiate with said Diamond to get the cluster shut down was really surprising. I honestly thought she was gonna turn on us and tell Yellow Diamond about the Crystal Gems still being here, guess I was wrong"

Steven:"WE were wrong Lapis, not just you but me as well. I let my anger get the better of me instead of letting her speak, *Guiltily* I almost shattered her"

Lapis squeezed his hand, causing him to look at her. What he saw was Lapis looking at him with a warm smile.

Lapis:"But you didn't and that's what matters. So stop beating yourself up about it and enjoy this date your taking me on. Which makes me question why you took me here instead of someplace in Beach City?"

Steven:"*Sighs* That's because I feel that I'm not welcomed there anymore. Sadie and the cool kids like having me around, but the towns people don't. Every time I go for a walk around town the people look at me in fear, disgust, or both"

Steven then looks down at his right hand before clenching it.

Steven:"*Growls* Ever since I became like this I haven't felt safe in my own home town! I swear those ignorant-"

Lapis silenced him by pulling him into a kiss. The kiss lasted for a few moments before Lapis pulled away.

Lapis:"You shouldn't get so worked up over what other people say or think about you. Besides we didn't come here to talk about _them_, we came here to enjoy ourselves and spend quality time together"

Steven gave her a warm smile before rubbing the back of his head.

Steven:"Ya your right, sorry about that. Lets enjoy this date!"

And so they did. The two spent hours exploring the strawberry battlefield, seeing weapons all over the ground, strawberry's growing everywhere, and the occasional gem shard on the ground which Steven bubbled and sent to the burning room. They even played a few games like tag or hide and go seek just for fun. As time went by they stumbled across a certain upside down pyramid, which Steven quickly dragged Lapis away from. When Lapis asked why he pulled her away from the structure he mumbled something about tea cups and fire pits. After all the site seeing they went over to a giant battle axe stuck in the ground and sat against it.

Steven:"This date went better then I expected"

Lapis:"Ya I had a lot of fun Steven"

Steven:"Shame it has to end"

Lapis then looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes.

Lapis:"*Seductive voice* Who says it has to~"

_*Semi Lemon Warning*_

When Steven turned to question her she crashed her lips with his. Steven was stunned for a moment before he returned the affection. Steven griped the back of Lapis's head with his right hand and pulled her closer, trying to deepen the kiss even more. Their kiss soon turned into a heated make-out with both of them catching each moan into each others mouths. Stevens left hand started to roam Lapis's body, occasionally squeezing her breast or ass, causing her to moan loudly. Steven then pulled away a little and started to leave a few love bites on her neck. Lapis soon started to do the same, going for any skin that wasn't covered by armor. They continued this for a while before they pulled apart.

Steven:"*Flustered* That was..."

Lapis:"*Flustered* I know..."

The two silent for a moment before Steven spoke.

Steven:"*Nervouse* Do you wanna-"

Lapis:"*Nervous* Go further..."

Steven nodded and the two blushed profusely. After a moment the two leaned into each other and shared a deep kiss. When the kiss ended they pulled apart and Lapis reached behind herself. She grabbed the tie behind her neck and pulled. The tie came undone and the upper part of her dress dropped revealing her perky full sized breast. Steven stared in awe at the site before looking to Lapis for approval. She nodded and he dove in. He cupped her right breast with his left hand and squeezed it gently before pinching the nipple, Steven then leaned down an sucked on her left breast, even flicking the nipple with his tongue a few times. This caused Lapis to moan even louder. This ministration went on for a few minutes. Steven pulled back his head from her breast, creating a audible pop sound.

Steven:"*Seductive voice* How was that~"

Lapis's only response was a shaky sigh.

Steven:"*Chuckles* Guess that answers that"

Steven leaned back in to continue his work. He continued to ravish her chest for a good while before Lapis pulled Stevens head away from her chest. Steven looked at her in confusion but Lapis simple smiled. She reached down with her right hand and stroked the bulge in his pants. This caused Steven groan a little and that made Lapis giggle a little. She continued to tease him before reaching for the zipper. Just as she was about to pull down the zipper Stevens right ear twitched, causing him to jerk his head up and look in a random direction.

_*Semi Lemon Ending*_

Steven:"We're not alone"

That put Lapis on edge. She quickly fixed her dress and stood up with Steven.

Lapis:"Any idea who it is?"

Steven sniff the air for a minute shaking his head.

Steven:"I don't know who it is but they're close"

The two stayed close together as looked around. They decided that now's the best the time to head back to the barn. Just as they were about to head to the warp pad someone spoke.

?:"What do we have here?"

Steven and Lapis looked around frantically, trying to find the source of the voice. Stevens ears twitched, causing him to twist around and look up before taking a step back in shock. Lapis looked at him questioningly before following his line of sight before gasping. Standing on the giant battle axes handle was none other then Jasper.

Jasper:"A little Lazuli and her pet monster"

Steven growled at her while Lapis hid behind him in fear.

Steven:"*Growls* What are you doing here Jasper?"

Jasper chuckles while she jumps down from the handle. Once on the ground she makes a slow stride towards the two.

Jasper:"I could ask you the same thing"

She keeps her stride while Steven held his ground, shielding Lapis from Jaspers view.

Steven:"*Growls* That's none of your concern!"

Jasper begins to circle around the two with Steven doing his best to shield Lapis.

Jasper:"Hmph, guess not. * Peers at Lapis* Lapis Lazuli, what's a high ranking gem like you doing with a lowly beast like this?"

That got a reaction out of the blue gem.

Lapis:"*Angry* He's not a beast!"

Jasper just laughs.

Jasper:"Are you sure about that. This THING hardly looks anything like the other humans I've seen. *Chuckles darkly* Makes me wonder why you even love him"

That set Lapis off. She summoned her water wings and launched herself at Jasper with Steven trying to stop her. The moment Lapis was in arms reach she tried to hit the quartz but she simply leaned to the side before connecting a left hook with the water gem. Lapis was sent crashing to the ground with a cry of pain.

Steven:"LAPIS!"

Jasper stood over the downed gem and gives her a sneer.

Jasper:"To think a high ranking gem like yourself would fall for such a creature is an insult to the authority itself, I should shatter you here and now"

Jasper laid a foot on Lapis's back, right on her gem, and pressed down.

Lapis:"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Jasper:"*Chuckles darkly* Now say goodbye to your-"

What ever she was gonna say was cut off by a pink blur slamming into her, sending her flying. When Lapis looked up she saw Steven standing over her with a very pissed off expression.

Steven:"Lapis I need you to head to the warp pad and wait for me"

At this Lapis quickly got to her feet and gave Steven a look.

Lapis:"I'm not leaving you!"

Steven:"This isn't up for debate!"

Lapis:"I can fight!"

Steven:"YOU COULD BE SHATTERED!"

Lapis took a step back from the shout. Steven sighs before reaching out and placed his hands on her shoulders.

Steven:"I know you can fight but... I don't want to risk losing you. So please, wait for me at the warp pad"

Lapis looks at him with conflicted emotions before submitting.

Lapis:"Promise me you'll be their soon"

Steven raises his right hand and puts it against her cheek.

Steven:"I promise"

He then leans in and gives her a passionate kiss before separating. She looked at him with a sad look before running to where the warp pad is. Once she was out of site Steven turned around and saw a seething Jasper rising from the ground.

Japser:"*Pissed* Your going to pay for that"

Steven just gave her a look.

Steven:"*Mocking* Sorry, but I forgot my wallet at home"

With that the two charged. It only took a few seconds for them to get close to each other to start throwing punches. Their fists connected sending them stumbling back a bit before sending a fury of punches at each other. Blow after blow the two wouldn't let up in their assault on the other. Steven then grabbed one of Jaspers fists and pulled her close before headbutting her. The blow sent Jasper reeling but before she could compose herself a fist embedded itself in her gut before launching her a good distance away. Just as she managed to stop and right herself she looked up and saw Steven charging at her. Jasper quickly prepared herself for the collision and when it came she reached over his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his midsection before heaving. Steven was raised in the air for a moment before being slammed into the ground by Jasper. Stunned, Steven was unable to stop the foot that was slammed into his face. Jasper raised her foot before slamming it back on Stevens face again. She repeated this a few times before Steven grabbed her foot and pushed her away. Steven quickly got to his feet before getting into a stance.

Steven:"You know this is kinda fun"

Jasper gave him a wicked smile.

Jasper:"That's one thing we can agree on"

The two then started to circle each other.

Steven:"We don't have to fight Jasper"

Jasper:"But I want to"

Steven:"Your making a mistake"

Jasper:"I don't care"

The two then stop. They glare at each other before Jasper reaches down and picks up a sword off the ground. She swings it a few times before pointing it at Steven.

Jasper:"Lets see if I can break that armor of yours"

With that she charged forward and started swinging. Steven did his best to dodge but Jasper got a few swings in. Thankfully his armor protected him from any real damage.

Steven:"That isn't going to work"

Jasper was getting very angry at the fact that her attack wasn't working. Just as she was about to toss the sword away and go for a different weapon a idea pop'd into her head. She smiled viciously.

Jasper:"How about THIS!"

Jasper slashed down on Stevens right shoulder, right between the armor, cutting the arm off completely. It was silent for a few moments as Stevens brain tried to process what just happened, but when it did his face twisted in pain and screamed.

Steven:"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Jasper took immense satisfaction in the pain she's inflicted upon her opponent. The place that Stevens arm use to be was gushing blood and the boy tried to stop it by covering it with the hand that he could still use but it wasn't really working.

Jasper:"*Mocking* Does it hurt"

She kicks him to the ground before raising the sword into the air.

Jasper:"Don't worry it will all be over soon and when I'm done here that Lazuli is next"

She brings the sword down intending to end him once and for all.

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_*CLANG!*_

Her eyes widen in disbelieve. There Steven was in a sitting position with the blade in his grasp. The boy opens his eyes to reveal two glowing pits. Then in the blink of an eye he snaps the blade in half. Jasper stumbled back in shock as the boy rose to his feet. The flesh beneath his armor started to turn dark red with his armor started turning a crimson red and the claws on his hand and feet became wicked talons. Soon his eyes changed from glowing pink pits to bright red pits with a single white dot in the center, simmering with rage, and his teeth becoming wicked fangs. His hair went from multiple shades of pink to black with blood red tips. The vines on the boys body went from brown to pitch black with the thorns becoming more jagged and wicked looking. Jasper couldn't help but grin as this new monster got to its feet and growled at her like an animal.

Jasper:"*Excited* This should be fun!"

Jasper threw the broken sword to the side before spindashing at Steven with her crash helmet on. Just as she was about collide with him he raised one hand up and a blood red barrier appeared, blocking Jaspers attack. When she hit the ground she started to furiously punch at the barrier trying to break through. While this was happening Steven just stood growling menacingly at Jasper. He then twisted his hand a bit causing the barrier to fold in on its self before reforming as a hexagon with no center. Jasper took a step back in surprise at the sudden change before the hexagon practically crashed into her, sending her flying! Steven continued to growl before he started twitching. Jasper had just recovered enough to witness a sight she couldn't believe.

Tendrils of red energy were coming out of where Stevens right arm use to be. They waved around in the air for a moment before rushing to the arm laying on the ground. The tendrils wrapped around the arm before lifting it into the air and bringing it to where it was cleaved off. Jasper watched in fascination as the arm reattach itself to Steven. Once the arm was reattached it went through the same change as Steven. When the process was finished Steven flexed the arm a bit, making sure it worked properly. When finished he made his way over to Jasper at a slow pace. Jasper was finally able to get to her feet and the first thing she did was laugh.

Jasper:"*Laughing* You seem to always surprise me every time we meet. Lets see how long you can last!"

Jasper then re-summoned her crash helmet and spindashed towards Steven again. Just as Jasper was about to collide with Steven, said boy reeled his head back before slamming it down, head butting Jasper. Time slowed down as Stevens head connected with Jaspers, breaking right through her crash helmet. Then time went back to normal and she was sent to the ground hard and fast, creating a massive crater. Unable to recover fast enough Jasper couldn't stop Steven from grabbing her head and raising her into the air. Jasper struggled as best she could, refusing to accept defeat.

Jasper:"You won't beat ME!"

Steven then tossed her into the air before grabbing her leg. He then proceeded to slam her into the ground repeatedly while roaring.

Steven:"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

He continued to slam her into the ground before throwing her at a rock formation nearby, destroying it in the process. It took Jasper a few moments to get her bearings before charging at Steven again. Once she was near him she started throwing punches at the distracted boy. Each fist connected with Stevens armored body but it didn't seem to phase him in the least bit. She stubbornly continues her assault but notices the thorns on Stevens body shake a little. Battle instincts kicking in she jumps away. The thorns jutted out a good foot long it seems. The moment the thorns return to normal size Steven rushes at Jasper. She is unable to stop him as he close lines her. She doesn't even hit the ground before his arm slams into her side. She flies through the air crashing into a massive warhammer. Slowly getting to her feet, she still feels a little disoriented from the impact, and looking up her eyes widened. She has to dodge to the side and not a second later a bulky armored tipped vine stabs into the spot her head use to be.

Jasper was stunned by this new development. The armored vine was like the rest of Steven body, vine pitch black, armor crimson red, thorns all wicked and jagged looking, but what really surprises her was the fact that the tip of it was like a needle and the armor had literal spikes on it. When Jasper turned her head she saw Steven not to far away with three more massive vines waving in the air, ready to strike from behind his back. At this point Jasper knew it was a losing battle so she decided it was best to retreat. She quickly bolted to the nearest warp pad with Steven nipping at her heels. Jasper had to dodge every few seconds as to not get stabbed by Stevens vines or crushed by a bolder that he has chucked at her.

Suddenly Steven leaps at her and takes her to the ground. They rolled for a bit, throwing punches at each other. Steven occasionally trying to bite her head off. Jasper was able to get him off by grabbing a dagger off the ground and stabbing it in between Stevens armored plates. Steven screeched in pain and Jasper uses this as a distraction to get away. Jasper needs to keep running.

A few minutes later she saw the warp pad and saw Lapis standing right in front of it with her water wings out, glaring right at her. When she was close enough Lapis turned her wings into fists then tried to hit Jasper but the quarts bobbed and weaved through her attack. When Jasper was inches from Lapis she put the water gem in a head lock.

Lapis:"*Chokes* H-Hey?!"

Jasper quickly turned around and was met with one of Stevens vines inches from her face. Said boy was only three feet away from her and growling menacingly.

Jasper:"Alright listen up cause I'm only gonna say this once. Your going let me leave here or else I'll shatter her"

To prove her point she reached down with one hand and gripped Lapis's gem before squeezing it, causing said gem to whimper in pain. This action made Steven even angrier and he made that very clear with the way his body twitched.

Lapis:"*Close to tears* S-Steven help?"

Hearing his name Steven looks at Lapis and coos to her trying to comfort her. Jasper watched the interaction an sneers at them. She then started walking backwards with Lapis still in her clutches. Steven was quick to follow but not to close as to risk harm to Lapis. Once on the warp pad Jasper threw Lapis at Steven and quickly warps away. Steven catches Lapis and holds her close while checking her over to make sure she was alright.

Lapis:"*hysterical* I'm fine Steven she didn't hurt me... too much"

He just simply groans to her while rubbing his cheek against hers. Lapis returns the affection.

Lapis:"How about we head home big guy, I've had enough excitement for one day"

Steven nodded before picking her up bridal style and holding her close. He then walked onto the warp pad and warped away.


	20. Chapter 20 Cluster

Normal Pov.

The moment that Steven and Lapis got off the warp pad the ground started to shake violently. Lapis clung to Steven while said boy was using his vines to help keep him balanced. Steven then continued to carry Lapis over to the barn trying his best not fall over. By the time they got to the barn the shaking got even worse and the ground itself was tearing open.

Steven looked around trying to find the gems. He soon saw them by the drill and quickly made his way over. Once he was close enough the gems spotted him and flinch at the sight of Stevens new appearance. Amethyst runs over with a worried expression.

Amethyst:"What happened to him?!"

Steven tried his best to speak but all that came out was groan. Seeing his predicament Lapis decided to speak for them.

Lapis:"We ran into Jasper"

This got a reaction out of everybody. Garnet tensed up, Pearl was shocked, Amethyst looked even more worried, and Peridot was straight up panicking. Garnet then walked up to the two.

Garnet:"Where?"

Lapis:"At the strawberry battlefield"

Then Pearl walked forward. Steven saw her coming so held Lapis even closer while growling at the Pearl threateningly. Pearl flinched at this but didn't stop her from speaking.

Pearl:"And what were you two doing there?"

Lapis:"*Blushing* We were going on what the humans refer to as a date"

Lapis then gained a annoyed expression. Steven cooed to her, trying to lighten her mood. It work, she smiled at him and nestled into his chest.

Lapis:"*Mumbles* It was going so well until SHE came"

Garnet couldn't help but smile at this while Pearl just scoffed.

Pearl:"Well then why don't you two-"

Pearl was cut off by the ground shaking even more violently and more of it started to open up. Pearl and Amethyst fell to the ground while Garnet held her ground and Peridot simply clung to the drill.

Peridot:"We don't have time for chit chat, we need to get down to the cluster and stop it from forming!"

With that said they all gathered around the drill and discovered one problem. Only two people can fit inside.

Amethyst:"So who's going?"

Peridot:"I'm obviously going since I'm the only one that can pilot it"

The gems soon got into a argument on who should go with Peridot. Steven and Lapis watch this go on with deadpan expressions. Getting tired of the arguing Steven sets Lapis down and gives her a kiss before walking over. He pushes through the gems and picks up Peridot. He then proceeds to climb into drill and sat Peridot down next to him before pointing at the controls. Understanding what he wanted her to do Peridot activated the drill and closes the window. Garnet and Pearl tried to stop them but they were too late and were already drilling into the planet.

As the two were drilling to the clusters location Peridot was checking over a few things on the control panel.

Peridot:"Okay all systems seem to be working fine, we have enough fuel to reach the cluster and make it back to the surface. Now we just have to wait two hours before we reach the cluster"

Steven and Peridot sat in silence waiting to arrive at the clusters location. During the trip Steven was able to calm himself some more and reverted back to normal, or as normal as it could be for him. Once he was able to speak properly again he began asking Peridot questions.

Steven:"Do we even have a plan?"

Peridot turns and gives him a blank look.

Peridot:"We have a drill. Were going to drill"

If Steven could he would have raised a brow.

Steven:"And when we get there?"

Peridot:"Drill it"

Steven couldn't help but run a hand down his face at the lack of a fool-proof plan.

Steven:"*Mutters quietly* We're going to die"

Suddenly things started shaking and Peridot was typing frantically on the controls.

Peridot:"We're entering the asthenosphere!"

Steven looked out the window and saw as the rock changed to what looks like lava.

Steven:"lava?"

Peridot scoffs at that.

Peridot:"Lava comes out of volcanoes, that's super heated peridotite.

Steven:"Peri what?"

Peridot then gains a far away look.

Peridot:"Ya it's made of the same stuff as Peridots"

Steven:"You were made on Homeworld right?"

She nods.

Steven:"What was it like?"

Peridot:"*Shrugs* I didn't exist, then I did. I don't have memories of it, just... feelings. I know I can never go back to Homeworld. It's hard not to have feelings for where you came from"

She then turns her head to Steven and he can see the sadness in her eyes. He also sees that she's close to crying but the little gem wipes her eyes and blushes a little.

Peridot:"It's fine! I have something different now"

Steven:"And that would be?"

Peridot:"You know... you... guys"

Peridot blushed even more while Steven gave her a small smile. Then there was a banging sound coming from the side of the drill.

Steven:"What's going on?"

Just then a red hand appeared on the window.

Steven:"Gem mutants! What are they doing down here?!"

Peridot:"They must have buried some prototypes with the cluster!"

Then there's another banging sound coming from above the drill. Peridot quickly pulls up a screen showing the top of the drill. A massive gem mutant was on top of the drill and banging it with its fist.

Steven:"They're attacking the drill! Do we have any way to get them off?"

Peridot simply pushes a button. Then a turret popes out on top of the drill. Peridot then reaches down and picks up a controller before handing it to Steven. Steven looks at the controller, then at Peridot with a 'your joking me' look.

Peridot:"What I never leave home without some sort of way to defend myself"

Steven:"You had time to put a turret on the drill but not make a plan to actually stop the cluster?"

Peridot raised a finger to speak but stopped. She quickly thought about what he said and went quiet after realizing what he was getting at. Steven sigh before using the turret to get the mutants off the drill. He shot the big one off first before moving on the the two small ones.

Steven:"*Saddened* I wish I could help them"

Peridot:"You can't"

Steven turns and gives her questioning look.

Peridot:"*Sigh* They're to broken. The beings who use to be in those shards are so shattered they don't know who they are or what's happening around them. Just seek out other gems looking for the missing pieces of themselves, trying to make themselves whole"

A small mutant was getting close to the turret so Steven shot it off the drill. He then puts the controller down and gives his full attention to Peridot.

Peridot:"These early experiments only combine two or three shards. The cluster will be a billion times bigger, an inseparable fusion capable of destroying worlds. Starting with this one"

Steven frowned at this new bit of information. If he couldn't help them become whole then he's sure as hell gonna make sure to help the mutants have comfortable existence. He then clenched his fists in anger as he promises to make those who did this pay dearly.

Steven was brought out of his thoughts when the drill started to shake violently. Peridot then gripped the controls tightly.

Peridot:"We're hitting some denser rock. This is it!"

Steven watched as the they drilled through the denser rock and into the unknown. After a bit they drilled a hole into a cavern, but before they went all the way through Peridot stopped the drill and deployed the spider like limbs that held it up back on the surface. She use the limbs to raise the drill from the hole before sending a camera in. She looked around the cavern and spotted the massive pile of gem shards being contained in a giant clear dome right below them.

Peridot:"Target found"

Steven:"Is that?"

Peridot:"*Narrows her eyes* The cluster"

Just then everything started shaking.

Steven:"What's happening?!"

The camera screen showed the shards starting to glow and the dome that's containing it was rippling.

Peridot:"*Panicking* Its too late, Its taking form!"

A transparent glob of something was forming on top of the dome and was rising.

Peridot:"*Close to tears* Steven I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Lapis, and the billions of other lifeforms who matter far far less to me! Do you have any last words!"

Steven pulled Peridot into a tight hug.

Steven:"I love you Peridot"

At this Peridot openly cried and clutched to Steven tightly.

Peridot:"I love you too"

The glob then rises through the hole the drill made and engulfs the drill. The drill shook violently as the glob continues to rise past the drill. Then things started to calm down and the glob retreated back to the cluster. The glob formed many hands and tried to hold onto the drill but that didn't stop its descent.

Wondering why they are not dead yet the two looked at the camera screen and Peridot gasped.

Peridot:"Its struggling to take form! We might still have some time. That means there's still a chance!"

She started pressing buttons with a mad grin.

Peridot:"Just a little re-positioning"

She moved the drill through the hole and had it hang from the ceiling thanks to the spider limbs. As they hanged above the cluster they saw as multiple arms were forming outside the bubble. Steven looked at the cluster and saw how the limbs were moving around at random. He honestly felt bad for it and didn't really wont to hurt it.

Steven:"Peridot I don't think we should hurt the cluster, I don't think it knows what its doing"

Peridot look at the camera screen and saw what he means. She then turns to Steven with a sad look.

Peridot:"That may be... but if it forms the planet will be destroyed. We don't have a choice"

She then pressed a button and the drill launched towards the cluster with its drill spinning. The glob met the drill head on, slowing it a bit. Peridot struggled to keep the drill from being knocked off course. After a bit they made contact. Stevens eyes widen and gripped his head in pain. Peridot looked at him with worry clear on her face.

Peridot:"Steven are you alright!"

Steven:"*Pained* Its just a headache, it'll pass"

They continue to drill the cluster but it doesn't seem to be doing anything.

Peridot:"Dammit we haven't even piercing the crust yet. I'm gonna have to increase power!"

She pressed a few buttons and pulled a switch.

Peridot:"Activating triple tip penetration mode!"

The drill stopped and separated into three separate drills that started to drill at the cluster. While this was happening Steven was giving Peridot a blank stare, confusing her.

Peridot:"What?"

Steven just shakes his head leaving Peridot even more confused. As the assault on the cluster continued Stevens headache got even worse. When he looked at the floor he saw it change to a bottomless pit with ghostly faces rising up towards him before changing back to normal. Before Steven could question his sanity one of the three drill tips disconnected.

Peridot:"We lost drill tip three!"

Peridot quickly stabilized the drill with only two tips.

Peridot:"Just gotta keep balance!"

Steven looked out the window towards the cluster which changed to a ghostly face flying towards him. He panicked and accidentally backed into Peridot, which caused the drill to lose another one of its tips. The loss of another tip caused the drill to spin out of control. Peridot struggled to regain control of the drill. Peridot barely managed to get the drill under control and when she looked at Steven she grew very worried for his health.

Steven was curled into a ball clutching his head in a vice-grip. The flesh below his armor was glowing along with his gem. Steam was coming from his mouth and every time he exhaled a small amount of pink fire came out.

Peridot couldn't just stand there and do nothing so she tried shaking him while calling out his name.

Peridot:"Steven! Steven can you hear me, Steven!"

Steven looked at hear before looking up. His eyes widen as he sees hundreds of those ghostly faces all going up into the endless void. When he looked down he saw no floor or the drill he was in, only the seat he was sitting in.

Steven:"What's going on?"

He could hardly believe what was happening. Suddenly the seat he was sitting in evaporated and started falling before blacking out.

...

_*Unknown Location*_

When Steven came too he found himself in a black void. Just as he was about to assume that he was dead small dots of light started to appear. Hundreds if not thousands of little lights were appearing and sometimes combining to make an even bigger light. He looked at the lights in awe and confusion, but when one got close to him he realized that it wasn't just a light.

It was a gem shard.

Steven:"What?!"

The moment he said that word the shards glowed brighter. Steven shielded his eyes as the brightness continued to increase. Just as he thought he was gonna go blind from how bright the light was it dimmed to a small glow. When he uncovered his eyes the saw the saw the hole place illuminated, revealing billions of shards all around him. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, but then he heard the whispers.

_?:"Want to"_

_?:"Need to"_

He looked around in wonder.

Steven:"Am I inside the cluster?"

The whispering stopped. Just as he was about to speak again the bright light returned accompanied by shouting.

_?:"WANT TO!"_

_?:"NEED TO!"_

They continued to repeat those words over and over again. When he thought he was gonna go deaf the light reseeded and the shouting turned into whispers. Now he knew that it was the shards that were whispering. Steven rubs his ears while giving the shards an annoyed look.

Steven:"*Grumbles* You didn't need to shout"

The shards continued to whisper to each other, completely ignoring him. This kinda angered him but he kept calm and tried to talk to the cluster again.

Steven:"So whats's this 'Want to' and 'Need to' your talking about?"

This got a violent reaction out of the cluster. They once again glowed brightly, nearly blinding, and shouted far louder then before.

_?:"NEED TO FORM!"_

Steven covered his ears trying to block out the sound, but his sensitive ears were not spared. The pain just kept as the shout got even louder. He couldn't take it, the pain was to much, he wanted it to end.

He then felt something snap inside.

Steven:"RRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A wave of pink energy shot out of Steven and silenced the shards. When the energy dissipated Steven remained floating there with his eyes closed, surrounded by a pink aura. But when he opened his eyes the cluster saw something that brought fear to its very being.

His eye sockets were empty.

Not one out of the billions of shards dared to speak a word. The cluster as a whole could not comprehend what it was seeing. The place that his eyes should have been were nothing but pitch black pits.

Then IT happened.

The aura that surrounded the boy started to morph. Slowly it got bigger and bigger till it looked like a massive body with sharp claws and feet. The supposed 'head' twisted and morphed until it formed something demonic looking. Horns adorned across the top of its 'head' that twisted and curved. The 'eyes' were black pits just like Stevens and with a insane, sharp toothed smile on its face just added to the look. Steven was at the center of the 'body'.

The cluster watched as the boy raised a single finger up to his face. The aura followed his example and raised one clawed finger up to its face. And with a insane smile on both of their faces they whispered one word.

**SLEEP**

Then everything went dark.

...

_*Reality*_

Peridot was in full blown panic. The cluster looked to be ready to form at any second. The worst part about this whole situation was that Steven fell unconscious! No matter what she did he wouldn't wake up.

Peridot:"*Crying* Steven please wake up!"

He was still unresponsive. Peridot was a crying mess at this point.

Peridot:"*Hiccups* I need you"

She then curls up against Stevens chest and waits for the inevitable end.

Peridot:"*Small voice* At least we'll die together"

She closes her eyes and waited for it all to end. She felt as the violent shaking of the cluster trying to form got worse and worse. Having her last thoughts be about the two individuals that she cares about most, she excepted her fate.

Then the shaking stopped.

Peridot opened her eyes slowly before taking a look around. She saw that she was still in the drill.

Peridot:"Am I dead?"

She then heard chuckling.

?:"I hope not"

Peridot snapped her head to the source of the words and her eyes widen.

Steven was awake and looking right at her.

She stared at him for moment then tears formed in her eyes. In seconds she latched onto Steven and cried her heart out. Steven was taken aback for a moment before wrapping his arms around her and whispers sweet nothings to her. They stayed like this for a few minutes before Peridot finally calmed down. Once she got her composure she spoke.

Peridot:"What happen to you Steven? You'd suddenly went unconscious and no matter what I did you wouldn't wake up"

Steven:"*Sighs* I think I entered the Clusters mind."

The green gems eyes shot wide open.

Peridot*Gasps* You what?!"

Steven:"*Nods* I don't really remember much, but I have a gut feeling we won't have to deal with the cluster ever again"

Peridot:"*Raised brow* What makes you say that?"

Steven:"Haven't you noticed"

Peridot gave him a confused look before realizing something. The shaking had stopped. She looked out the drills window and saw the cluster. It wasn't trying to take form. If anything it looked like it was asleep.

Peridot:"How?"

Steven:"I have no clue. But I think we should head back to the surface"

Peridot nodded and went to the controls.

...

_*One trip back to the surface later*_

The drill climbed its way out of the hole it made with a few new passengers on top of it. Once fully out of the hole the drill stayed still form a moment, before toppling over in a smoking heap. The window on the drill opened up with Steven and Peridot crawling out.

Steven:"We are never doing that again"

Peridot:"Agreed"

Once the two got to their feet they looked at other passengers, which just so happened to be the mutants they shot at earlier.

Peridot:"I still don't get why we had to stop and get them"

Steven:"Because I didn't want to leave them behind"

The mutants took a few moments to get to their feet... well the big one did, the fused hands and feet didn't really count. The big mutant looked around the area while the littler ones just rolled around on the ground. When the big one turned and spotted Steven and Peridot it walked over to them, or as best it could since it had over four legs. As it got close enough Peridot hid behind Steven with a look of fear while said boy didn't seem to mind the mutants presents. The mutant stopped only a foot from Steven and simple stood there for a time before wrapping the hybrid in a hug.

Steven was at first stunned by the sudden contact, but once he composed himself he returned the affection. While the two hugged the smaller mutants crawled over and hugged Steven as best they could. The hugging lasted for a few more moments before they parted.

Steven:"Didn't take you guys for being so affectionate"

The big one grunted while the smaller ones tapped him. While this was happening Steven didn't notice the other gems coming out of the barn, or the fact that three of them formed their weapons. By the time he did notice Pearl was already in the air and about to stab the big one.

_*CLANG*_

A split second before Pearls spear made contact with the mutant Steven was suddenly there and holding the tip of the spear in his right hand. Pearl didn't even have time to process what happened before Steven snapped her spear and punching her back towards the barn. Once she recovered sum-what she gave Steven a hard look.

Pearl:"Why are you defending that mutant!"

Steven didn't speak and acted like he didn't hear her. This angered Pearl even more causing her to summon another spear and point it at Steven.

Pearl:"Answer me!"

Steven:"I don't have to"

His response angered Pearl even more, but before she could attack Steven Garnet appeared behind her and stopped her. Pearl struggled for a bit but quickly stopped when Garnet gave her a look. Once that was done Garnet turned to Steven and spoke.

Garnet:"I take it the mutants are under your protection?"

Steven nodded.

Garnet:"Then their your responsibility"

With that Garnet turned and left, dragging a angry Pearl with her. Once the two were gone Lapis and Amethyst came over.

Amethyst:"So what happened while you guys were down there?"

Lapis:"Ya what happened when you two made it too the cluster?"

Peridot was about to tell them when Steven raised a hand.

Steven:"I'll tell you both later. Right now I need to get these mutants to a safer place. You don't mind helping me Lapis?"

Lapis:"Not at all"

Steven nodded before ushering the mutants to follow him. After a little walk to the nearest warp pad he had the mutants step on the pad with him and Lapis. Just as they were about to warp away Steven turned to Peridot.

Steven:"Peridot when we get back we're going to have a talk about what you revealed to me down there"

Peridot looked at him confused before her eyes widened. With that Steven and Lapis warped away, leaving a flustered Peridot and a confused Amethyst.


	21. Chapter 21 Ruby's

Normal Pov.

It's been a few days since the whole cluster incident and a few things happened.

One would have to be the talk Steven had with Lapis and Peridot. The talk lasted half a day with Lapis and Peridot deciding it was okay to explain to Steven a harem is. Steven was honestly happy that things didn't go south and turn into a fight, he did not want to deal with that drama. But the two made sure to let Steven know that if he wants to bring more girls into this harem they have to meet them and see if they are worthy. Steven promised to do that and the rest of the day was spent just relaxing and enjoying each others company.

The other was when Steven journeyed to the kindergarten with Peridot and brought one of the injectors back to the barn. At first she questioned him on why he brought it. His response was that it was a secret project that he plans to start soon. He then spent the whole day dismantling the thing and asking Peridot various question on it. The time night hit the thing was in many pieces and the fluids used to make gems were safely stored away in glass jars. He made her promise not to tell the gems for if they knew what he was about to do they would try to stop him out of fear that something bad would happen. Peridot was honestly in the dark on his secret project of his but promised not to tell the others. He even made Lapis promise after he found her hiding in the hay pile.

And then there is now.

Steven:"*Annoyed* So tell me why I was woken up by what sounded like a jackhammer hitting the earth at MK5?"

Steven was standing in-front of Lapis with a scowl on his face.

Lapis:"Better if you see for yourself"

She lead him outside and what he saw surprised him. There in the ground was a reddish-orange dome. The thing wasn't to big being around the size of half a car. Then there was the diamond shape scar in the earth that was most likely caused by it being forcibly berried in the ground by Lapis.

Steven:"What is it?"

Lapis shrugged her shoulders. Then Peridot came out.

Peridot:"Can some one explain to me what all the racket is!"

She also had a scowl on her face along with some very noticeable bedhead. When she spotted the object in the ground her scowl immediately turned into a look of fear.

Peridot:"What is THAT doing here?!"

The two looked at her confused. They were going to question her when a hatch opened on top of the dome. A Ruby's head popped out and looked around. Steven was able to see that her gem seems to be replacing her left eye. She continued to look around before exiting out the hatch. Soon followed another Ruby with her gem on her left arm and seemed a little exited. Next out was a weird one, they looked so innocent but something in Stevens gut was telling him it was anything but innocent. Then out came a Ruby that looked to be a bit of a scaredy cat given the way she was acting. She was then pushed out by another Ruby, her gem on her chest and a visor like Peridots except it was yellow.

The three watch as the Ruby's mill about and talk amongst each other while being ignorant of their presence. Seeing no hostility Steven walked over to the group of Ruby's. By the time they actually did notice him he was about a few feet away from them. They stared at him with wide eyes and he stared back with a curios gaze. All was silent before the one with the yellow visor walked up to him. From what could guess was that she was the leader of this small group.

Ruby Leader:"Who are you organic?"

Steven was taken aback by her lack of fear towards him. It actually felt refreshing to not be feared by someone for a change.

Steven:"Steven Universe, but please call me Steven"

The Ruby was surprised by such a formal response. Smiling she responded in kind.

Ruby Leader:"I am Ruby, leader of this squad of Ruby's"

She raised a hand up to him and he reached down and shook it. Once done the other Ruby's came over and started looking at him in wonder. They asked him various questions about himself and he ask a few of his own. He even gave them all nicknames that they seem to like.

While this was happening Lapis and Peridot both watch on in astonishment. They honestly thought a fight was gonna breakout but apparently they were wrong. They decided to walk over to them and introduced themselves. Peridot was worried that they came here looking for her but was wrong. They came here for another reason.

Lapis:"So what brings you Ruby's all the ways to Earth?"

Doc:"We were sent here to retrieve Jasper"

At the mention of her name Steven growled. It was a low but very deep growl that sent a shiver down everyone's spine. They all look at him in concern as he tries to calm himself. After a minute he lets out a breath and speaks.

Steven:"Sorry, its just that... I REALLY don't like hearing her name"

This confused the Ruby's.

Leggy:"W-Why?"

Steven:"*Sighs* Lets just say our last meeting didn't go so well"

They would have pressed for more detail but didn't when they saw the look on his face. Instead they went back to asking questions and getting to know each other better. At some point they all moved to inside the barn. So deep in their conversations they almost didn't hear the warp pad go off in the distance. Everyone turns to the doorway and sees that Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl were standing in it. For a moment they stared at the Ruby's and then summoned their weapons to try and attack them but Steven fortunately stepped in their way.

Pearl:"Steven move so we can deal with these Homeworld gems!"

Steven:"No"

Amethyst:"Come on man just move so we get rid of them"

Steven:"No"

Garnet:"Steven-"

Steven:"I said no and that's final!"

Steven and the gems stared each other down, waiting for someone to make the first move. After a few moments the gems un-summon their weapons. At this Steven relaxed slightly but kept an eye on them just in case.

Steven:"So why are you three here?"

Amethyst:"We came to see why you haven't come home yet"

Steven:"*Huffs* Maybe I prefer to stay out here"

Pearl:"And why would you want to stay out here when you could be at home and helping on missions"

Steven:"*Snarls* Last I checked I've not been on a mission with you guys in months and only now do you three want me back home! Besides at least here I don't have to deal with the looks people give me, *Mumbles* and what they whisper about me when they think I can't hear them"

It was tense after his outburst. The gems didn't know what to say to that. Amethyst looked sad at his response and Pearl looked ready to throw a fit. Garnet on the other hand looked calm and adjusted her shades.

Garnet:"Even if that's true you should still come home. We miss you"

Steven stands there and seems to ponder this. Lapis and Peridot looked worried while the Ruby's were trying to make sense of what was going on. After a few moments Steven sighs and shakes his head.

Steven:"I'm sorry Garnet but I can't. I feel more at ease out here with Lapis and Peridot. I just can't go back when everyone I once knew now looks at me in fear or disgust, but maybe... maybe in the future I'll come back but for now I'll stay here"

Amethyst then walks up to Steven and grasps his hand.

Amethyst:"Is this what you really want man?"

He nods and she backs off.

After some time the three went back to the temple, leaving Steven with Lapis, Peridot, and the Ruby's.

Peridot:"So what now?"

Steven stayed silent. Lapis walked over to him and placed a hand on his arm.

Lapis:"Steven..."

He did not respond.

Lapis:"Please..."

Still nothing.

Lapis:"Look at me... please"

He hesitantly looked down at her. She reached up and cupped his armored cheeks.

Lapis:"Tell me what's wrong"

He raised a hand and grasped one of her own.

Steven:"*Sigh* I'll tell you later"

Lapis:"Promise?"

Steven:"Promise"

She then hugged him. Caught off guard he just stood there with his arms in the air. Then heard a whimpering noise and turned to the source. Peridot was a few feet away pouting with that puppy dog look. Steven sighed and ushered her over.

Steven:"Come here you"

She leaped forward and latched onto this chest. Both of the gems had their arms wrapped around him, practically squishing themselves to his chest. The two gems were enjoying the embrace while Steven quietly grumbled to himself.

Steven:"*Grumbles* Should have never let Amethyst teach you that"

They stayed like this, enjoying each others presence. Suddenly Steven felt something latch onto his left leg. He looked down and saw the one he named Leggy hugging his leg. He was going to ask her why she's hugging him when he felt something latch onto his other leg. Turning his head he saw Navy hugging it. This bewildered him immensely. Then he felt something make contact with his back. Looking back he saw both Eyeball and Army hugging his back while hanging off of the vines on his back. Then something made latched onto the back of his head. He would have panicked a little if not for realizing that Doc was hugging his head.

Steven just stood there confused as to why the Ruby's were hugging him. He didn't dwell on it for long as he suddenly felt his cheeks get wet. He reached a finger up to the spot and felt the area. He then realized.

He was crying.

It confused him that he was shedding tears when he was not sad. Instead he felt happy, joyful even.

Steven:"W-Why am I crying?"

The tears were streaming down his face in full force. Then Lapis looked up at him and saw the tears. Smiling a little she used her hydro-kinesis to turn those tears into little stars and fish. Steven watched as the fish and stars made from his tears circle around him. He couldn't help but smile at the sight. The others noticed as well and watched with wonder in their eyes, the Ruby's being a little enthusiastic about it. Steven looked down at Lapis with a smile and she looked at him with a blush. He leaned in and captured her lips with his. The two stayed like this for a good while, oblivious to the world around them. When they did pull apart they saw the other occupants looking at them. Peridot looked jealously at the two while the Ruby's had literal stars in their eyes. Steven couldn't help but give a hearty laugh to Peridots look while Lapis just smirked.

Lapis:"Is the little dorito jealous that Steven is kissing me and not you"

Peridot just fumed as she crossed her arms and made a angry face that quickly turned into a pout.

Peridot:"I'm not jealous!"

Lapis:"Suuuuuuure you aren't"

Steven just stood their and watched as the two gems he truly loves go back and forth at each other with banter. Adverting his gaze from them for the moment he looked at the Ruby's that were still attached to him.

Steven:"So what are you five going to do now?"

This reminded the Ruby's that they came here for a reason.

Doc:"We'll be heading out to go look for Jasper"

Steven:"*Nods* Good, the sooner you get her off the planet the better"

Doc:"..."

Steven:"..."

Doc:"..."

Steven:"...Are you guys gonna get off of me or..."

Ruby's:"NO!"

Steven sighs and walks out of the barn with the Ruby's still glued to him. Once outside he headed to the ship embedded in the ground. He stares at it before speaking.

Steven:"Mind getting off me for a moment"

Reluctantly the Ruby's let go of him. Once they were all off Steven reached down and grasped the hull of their ship. The metal bent and teared as his claws dug into it, trying to get a good grip. Once he was sure he had a good enough grasp he started to lift. The ground gave way a little as Steven pulled the Ruby's ship out of the ground. Said Ruby's watch in amazement as Steven pulled their ship out of the ground with a little more effort. A few of them were impressed by his show of strength, others were blushing and watching his muscle flex with power. When the ship was fully out of the ground Steven gently set it down. Dusting his hands off he was about to turn back to the Ruby's when they latched themselves back onto him.

Steven:"Ah com on! Can't you guys latch onto someone else!?"

Ruby's:"NOPE!"

Steven grumbled while the Ruby's just laugh. Soon Lapis and Peridot came out, finally finishing their arguing.

Peridot:"So you guys heading out soon?"

The Ruby's looked each other. Getting many reluctant nods they got off of Steven and replied.

Eyeball:"As much as we don't want to, yes"

Leggy:"But we promise to visit from time to time!"

Doc:"You can count on that"

Navy:"Ya!"

Army:"An when we do visit I want to fight you Steven!"

Steven:"*Chuckles* Sure thing short stuff"

Army fumed cutely at his remark. After another hug attack from the Ruby's they piled into their ship, but before the hatch closed Leggy ran back out and tackled Stevens face and panting a kiss on his cheek.

Leggy:"*Blushing* Don't think to much about what I just did!"

She quickly jumped off and ran right back into the ship, closing the hatch behind her. The ship then hummed with power and began to hover in the air before launching into the sky. The three stood there and watched as the ship raced off into the distance. Steven couldn't help but rub the spot Leggy had kissed. When he turned around he saw Lapis and Peridot looking at him with teasing smiles.

Lapis:"Seems like someone has a thing for you Steven~"

Peridot:"And I bet its not just her too~"

Steven blushed a little but it went unseen due to his armor. He looked up at the direction the Ruby ship went and smiled. That smile turned wicked as he gazed upon his two lovers. Before they could react he scooped them up in his arms and head back to the barn. They cried out in surprise and blushed when they saw the look Steven was giving them.

Steven:"How about we head back into the barn and have a little FUN~"

Their blushes intensified at this and squealed when he rushed into the barn. Too occupied with themselves they never saw the figure in the treeline sink deeper into the forest. The figure walked a good distance before pulling out a walkie-talkie and spoke.

?:"Sir I've found the target"

_?:"Excellent, we will be arriving shortly. In the meantime you are to continue watching it, understood?" _

?:"Rodger sir"

With that the figure shutoff the device and made his way back to the barn.


	22. Chapter 22 A Day Gone Wrong

Normal Pov.

Steven was laying on a pile of hay inside the barn with both Lapis and Peridot on top of him. The two sleeping pleased smiles on their faces. Steven couldn't help but chuckle at the memorie of last nights events.

Steven:"*Chuckles* Who knew that their gems would be so sensitive"

Slowly Steven pulled his two lovers off of himself and gently placed them onto the hay. Steven then got up and stretched his limbs, hearing an audible pop and crack from his joints. Once done he walks out of the barn. Taking a look around he saw nothing but the open fields but for some reason he was getting a bad feeling that something was about to happen. He didn't get time to dwell on this feeling as he heard the sound of his lovers waking up. Turning around he saw the two yawning and rubbing their eyes with some noticeable bedhead. Cracking a smile he greeted the two.

Steven:"Good morning you two, sleep well?"

The two slowly blinked before registering what he said.

Lapis:"*Yawn* Good morning Steven"

Peridot:"*Groggy* What she said"

They both got off the hay bed and stretched before walking over to him. Lapis reached up on her toes and kissed him. Peridot tried to do the same but was too short so Steven had to pick her up so she can kiss him. Setting her down the three then just stood there enjoying the breeze and each others company.

Steven:"So what do you girls want to do today?"

Lapis:"*Thoughtful* Well we could go down to Beach City and have fun at the beach"

Peridot:"That actually sounds like fun!"

Steven:"*Sigh* Alright well head to the beach"

The three make their way towards the warp pad and warp away.

...

When the beam died down the three found themselves inside of the beach house. It seems that nobody is home; which is fine since Steven didn't feel like dealing with the gems right now. As they made their way through the house Steven couldn't help but notice how nothing seems to have changed since he went to the barn. He guessed that Pearl made sure everything stayed just the way it was when he left. Shaking his head he continued outside with Lapis and Peridot.

The moment they stepped out the suns rays beat down on them. They shield their eyes from the blinding sun as their eyes adjust to the light. After a moment they continue their way onto the beach.

Steven:"You two just gonna go in like that?"

He gestured to their outfits, which were the ones they always wear. They look down at their outfits before looking at each other. With a smirk on their faces they were consumed in a bright light, Steven had to shield his eyes a second time just so he didn't go blind. When the light died down Steven gaped. There Lapis and Peridot stood in what he could see was their bathing suits.

Lapis had a strapless bikini top, one side dark blue and the other side light blue. The bottom was dark blue with a shear light blue wrap to match.

Peridot wore a dark green one piece with light green stripes. The suit itself was form fitting, leaving little to the imagination.

The two gems checked out their forms, liking the look, before turning to Steven for an opinion. He was literally drooling at the site of them. Seeing this the two giggled and struck a pose.

Lapis:"Like what you see Steven~"

Peridot:"Are you pleased~"

It took him a minute to compose himself before replying.

Steven:"Considering that I can't look away from your sexy bodies should answer that for you"

The two blushed at his compliment. They then head into the water to have fun. Too busy having fun they didn't see the figure at the top of the temple watching them. Said figure pulled out a walkie-talkie.

?:"Sir they're at the far end of the beach in Beach City, right in front of some kind of temple with a beach house built into it"

_?:"Roger that; we are an hour out. Keep watch and report back any changes"_

?:"Copy sir"

Back on the beach the three were chilling in the water. Steven was laying on his back in the water, Lapis was doing the same but on his chest, and Peridot was on top of Lapis copying the two.

Peridot:"I thought this would be funner"

Steven:"*Sigh* We should have brought a volleyball or something"

Lapis:"Next time we bring what the humans call floaties"

They decided to get out of the water and head over to the boardwalk. It didn't take them long to reach it but once there they didn't know what else to do.

Peridot:"Are we just gonna stand around here or...?"

Steven looked at the various shops, restaurants, and even the arcade. Thankfully the decision was made for him by the sound of his stomach rumbling.

Lapis:"*Giggles* I guess we should get something to eat first before doing anything else"

With that the group walked into the closes restaurant, Fish Stew Pizza. Walking inside they were met with stares form the other occupants. One of the tables was occupied by a group of guys that eyed Lapis and Peridot with perverted grins, since the two were still in their bathing suits. The two shifted uncomfortably under their stares but when group saw Steven standing behind them growling their perverted grins went away and were replaced with looks of fear. Once he was sure they got the message Steven lead the girls to a spare table and sat down. It didn't take long for a familiar face to show itself.

Jenny:"Long time no see Steven"

Steven:"Jenny? What are you doing here, I thought you would be out with Buck and Sourcream?"

Jenny:"Buck is helping his father with something and Sourcream is out fishing with his dad. So with them gone I decided to help out my family with the restaurant"

Steven:"I see; well if you see the two tell them I said hello"

Jenny:"Sure, but on another note what can get for you guys?"

Lapis and Peridot didn't know what to get so Steven ordered just a cheese pizza. Jenny wrote the order down and soon left to the kitchen. When she was gone Peridot gave Steven a questioning look.

Peridot:"Who was that 'Jenny' girl Steven?"

Steven:"A friend of mine. She, Buck, Sourcream, and Lapis helped me come to terms with my changes a while back. Also we may have found your escape pod and taken it for a joy ride"

Peridot:"YOU WHAT?!"

He laughed as she fumed over that tidbit of information. Before long their pizza had arrived. Steven dug into the pizza wholeheartedly while Lapis and Peridot hesitated. Seeing this Steven gave them some words of encouragement. The two sighed before taking a bite from their respective slice...then proceeded to devour said slice rapidly.

Lapis:"*Mouth full* This stuff is good!"

Peridot:"*Face stuffed* I didn't think tastes like this even existed!"

Steven couldn't help but watch in amusement as the two dug into the rest of the pizza greedily. He soon spotted Jenny off to the side watching with a look of bewilderment. Chuckling a little he got her attention and made a sign to make another pizza. She nodded and headed back into the kitchen, leaving Steven to watch his girlfriends gorge themselves on what remained of the pizza. By the time Jenny came back with another pizza the first one had been completely devoured by the two gems. Said gems spotted the new pizza and gazed at it hungrily. Seeing this look Steven quickly snatched the pizza before the two could get their hands on it.

Steven:"Oh no, this one is for me"

Lapis:"What!?"

Peridot:"Come on!?"

Steven proceed to dine on his food while the two gems stared at him. They would occasionally try and snatch a slice but were thwarted by Stevens quick reflexes. Once done with his food he gazed at his lovers and saw their dejected expressions.

Steven:"Don't give me that look, you should have taken your time eating instead of inhaling it like Amethyst would"

Lapis:"Can't you just order another one?"

Steven:"I only have so much money"

Peridot:"What's money?"

Steven:"It's what I use to buy these pizzas. I know you guys want more but I only have so much cash on me. If I spend it all here on food then I won't have any to spend on other stuff"

The two gained looks of guilt at the prospect of what they were doing. After paying for the bill the trio left and went further down the boardwalk followed by an unknown figure. They soon came across the arcade and decided to head inside.

Exploring inside the arcade they came across multiple games of different genres and types. There were racing games, adventure games, dance games, and it seemed Mr. Smiley hooked up an Xbox along with a PlayStation so people could play some console games. The three spent half an hour playing various games, Peridot raging when she lost. Everything was going fine until Steven heard a voice that belonged to someone he HATES with a passion.

Kevin:"Well well well, what do we have here. Two freaky chicks with an even bigger freak!"

Steven:"*Snarls* Kevin"

Kevin:"Wow IT can talk!"

Kevin and his cronies laughed while Steven snarled at them with clenched fists. Seeing this Lapis and Peridot try to calm him down. Kevin took noticed this and smirked.

Kevin:"*Mocking* Aw is the freak mad, does he need his WHORES to make him feel better!"

Steven would have ripped his head off if not for his lovers holding him back and telling him to ignore him. Soon the other occupants of the arcade gathered near them wondering what's going on. Not wanting to make a seen Steven let his girls lead him away. But Kevin had to say something he shouldn't have.

Kevin:"So your just gonna walk away and run back to mommy and cry about the big meany, oh wait; you don't have a mom!"

Steven stopped dead in his tracks while the other occupants gasped.

Kevin:"Didn't she die when having you? Heh probably because she didn't want to raise a worthless ugly freak like you!"

Steven slowly turned around with his head down. Lapis and Peridot tried to stop him but he simply brushed passed them as he made his way towards Kevin.

Kevin:"If I had to take a guess that bitch was a slut that had you by accident thanks to your father not wearing protection"

Steven doubled his pace and bared his teeth.

Kevin:"If that's the case then your nothing but a MISTAKE!"

Kevin and his cronies burst out laughing. To busy laughing they didn't notice the people around them quickly scatter. Kevin didn't get the chance to wonder before a certain armored fist connected with his face. He was sent flying through the arcade and was in-bedded in one of the machines. Coughing up some blood he shakily raised his head to see the thoroughly pissed off Steven gazing back at him.

Steven:"*Dark, cold voice* Your going to suffer"

He slowly stalked towards Kevin. Kevin's cronies tried to stop him but they were either tossed away or had their head sent through something. Once he reached him he grabbed his face and roughly pulled him out of the machine, enjoying his cries of pain as the jagged edges of the now busted machine tore at his flesh. Blood went everywhere but Steven didn't care, all he cared about was making sure he suffered for what he said. He raised him into the air before slowly closing his hand with his face still in it. Kevin cried out in agony as the pressure on his face became unbearable. With what little strength Kevin had left he opened his eyes and gazed the slitted pupils of Stevens eyes. He accepted his fate as Steven was seconds from crushing his face completely. Steven would have done so if he hadn't felt a pair of arms warped around him. Stopping for a second he turned his head to look behind himself and saw Lapis hugging him.

Lapis:"Steven please; stop"

She raised her head up and Steven saw tears flowing from her eyes. This was enough to snap him out of his little rampage as he realized what he was doing. With a look of horror he dropped Kevin and gazed at his hands that were covered in blood.

Steven:"*Shaken* W-What have I d-done?!"

He then began to hyperventilate as he continued to stare at his bloodied hands. Peridot rushed over and helped Lapis try to calm Steven down. While this was happening Kevin's proxie quickly grab his mangled body and dragged him off. After what seemed like forever they had managed to calm him down a bit. Steven shakingly raised his head and saw the other people in the arcade. All of them had looks of fear and horror on their faces, he could hear them whisper things about him that were not pleasant. He got to his feet and the people quickly back up with some looking ready fight if he got too close. Then some of them started chanting monster and before long they were all chanting it. Steven backed away from the people as they kept getting closer while still chanting.

Steven:"Stop it!"

They didn't let up. They continued to chant without stop, some even started throwing things at him. He raised his arms to block the objects being thrown at him, thankfully his arms are big enough to block everything thrown at him. Sadly his lovers weren't.

Lapis:"AAAHHH!"

Lapis had gotten hit in the eye by a soda bottle. Peridot tried to get her out of the way but she to was pelted by the people. The sight of his loved ones being hurt reignited the fury from earlier. Bearing his teeth he roared.

Steven:"RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

A wave of pink energy shot out of Steven and knocked everyone to the floor. The people watch with fear in their eyes as Steven stalked towards them with a look of anger. Just as he reached one of the people a shot rang out across the arcade and in a blur Stevens left arm was up in the air. There sticking out of the armor was what looked like a trank dart. Slowly Steven turned his head to the source of the shot and found an odd figure.

The figure wore nothing but black clothing and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest. He also had similar padding to the vest on almost every limb. This person also wore what looked like a military helmet with a mask to match. There was also strange emblem on both his shoulders, chest, and sides of the helmet. Said emblem resembled a skull with two bones behind it in a X pattern and had a shield behind it with wings on the sides. In his hands was a pistol that was aimed right at Steven.

?:"I suggest you stand down and come quietly before things get out of hand"

Steven just stared at the man that shot with a glare. Without looking away he pulled the dart out and tossed to the side.

Steven:"You don't know who your dealing with"

?:"That's the thing...we do"

The moment he finished speaking two dozen more men dressed in the same outfit as him rushed in with assault rifles aimed right at him. Steven quickly pulled Lapis and Peridot behind him as he took a defensive stance.

?:"Now I'll give you one last chance; come quietly or-"

He cocked his gun back before aiming right at Stevens head.

?:"You'll regret it"

All was quite as Steven stood protectively in front of Lapis and Peridot with guns pointed right at him. All was still as the two groups stared each other down, daring someone to make the first move. Some of the people still in the arcade watched the seen unfold from behind the prize counter. One of them moved and knocked over a glass cup. The tension skyrocketed as the cup slowly descended to the floor and loudly shattered into pieces.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The soldiers open fire upon Steven as he shielded his girls. The bullets bounced off his armor harmlessly and he couldn't help but smirk.

?:"Switch to armor-piercing you idiots!"

They obeyed his order and began swapping out their mags for armor piercing rounds. Using this to his advantage Steven grabbed the two gems and rush further into the arcade. He could hear the soldiers shouting something but he was to preoccupied to care. Just as he made it to the back of the arcade they once more opened fire on him. Their rounds connected with Stevens armor and embedded themselves in it, some even made it through and dug into his flesh. Grunting from the pain Steven decided to make an exit out of the arcade. Picking up speed he bull charged towards the back wall and went right through it with little resistance, ending up in the ally behind the arcade.

Random soldier:"He's escaping!"

Wasting no time Steven ran through the ally and onto the open street. Some people panicked at the sight of him but he didn't care at the moment. He was about to turn up the street when a military jeep came barreling down the road with a chain-gun on top of it. Said gun had a gunner and when he spotted Steven and the gems he opened fire. The rounds bounced off Steven harmlessly but sadly the pedestrians near him were torn apart. Steven couldn't help but feel horrified by what was happening and guilty that innocent people were caught in the crossfire. Composing himself Steven rushed off with Lapis and Peridot pressed to his chest, using his body to shield them from harm. The jeep quickly followed him with the gunner still firing at him, not caring who he shot.

Steven:"Lapis I need you to take Peridot and fly back to the temple!"

Lapis shot her head up and looked at him in disbelieve.

Lapis:"But then you'll be by yourself!"

Steven:"I'll be fine, you on the other hand won't if they get a shot on your gem!"

Peridot:"I refuse to leave you Steven!"

Steven quickly dove into an alleyway to small for the jeep to enter and kept running.

Steven:"This isn't up for debate!"

Lapis:"I could use my hydro-kinesis to fight them!"

Steven:"I'm not risking your safety; so your going to take Peridot and leave!"

Lapis:"Were not-"

Steven:"You are leaving and that's final!"

He quickly drops the two down in the alley and rushes off with them yelling after him. He enters a open street and dashes towards the inner part of Beach City. Not long after the jeep from earlier came onto the same street. Getting tired of running Steven turned and faced the jeep with his arms out. Moments later the jeep hit Steven dead on with him digging his claws into the vehicle. Steven was pushed back a few feet before he stopped in his tracks. The jeep continued to try and push him but he held firm. Steven then lifted the jeep off the road and into the air with its occupants panicking. With a roar he threw it away, sadly it crashed into a store.

Steven:"*Sweat drop* Oops"

The sound of a helicopter had Steven looking to the sky. In the air was a attack helicopter equipped with a chain-gun on the bottom and two missile pods on the side wings. Worst part is, is that it was all aimed right at Steven.

Steven:"Oh shit!"

He booked it as the chopper began firing at him. Steven was all over the place trying to not get hit. He soon came into the residential area of the city and tried to hide behind one of the houses, hoping they wouldn't fire on civilians. Just like the jeeps gunner the pilot of the chopper opened fire regardless. Houses were torn asunder and Steven could hear the screams of the people inside before they go quiet. He could not believe these people were willing to kill innocent people just to get to him.

This pissed him off immensely, even though some of them called him a freak or monster they didn't deserve to be butchered like this. Mind made up he rushed out from his hiding spot and grabbed a nearby car. Just as the chopper turned and spotted him Steven threw the car right at him. The pilot tried to dodge but wasn't quick enough and was sent back down to earth in a fiery blaze. Steven stared at the fiery wreckage of the chopper as he realized that he just took a life but if he was being honest it didn't really affect him, the person got what they deserve for slaughtering the innocent. With that settled he made was out of the city and into the open lands.

He decided it was best if he headed to the train station and hitch a ride out. He would need to lay low for a while and hope whoever these guys are would stop hunting him.

Sadly he didn't get far.

Steven:"AAARRRGGGHHH!"

Looking at his shoulder he saw a literal harpoon with a line of rope on one end had gone through it and out the other side. The tip split apart and dug itself into his flesh as it grabbed purchase on him. Howling in pain he tried to get it out but that just made the pain worse. Instead of trying to remove it he looked for where it came from. Following the line he saw it had come from a harpoon gun mounted on another jeep. Said jeep was not alone as three more came out of nowhere and fire their own harpoons.

One got him in the other shoulder and another got him in the left thigh. The last ones aim was off a bit and instead of it going in his other thigh it went straight through his chest.

Steven roared in pain while also coughing up blood thanks to the harpoon in his chest. The jeeps drove passed him and drove around him. This resulted in the lines of rope from the harpoons wrapping around him and effectively restrain him. He fell to the ground unable to move as the jeeps stopped. One of the jeeps doors opened and the same guy from earlier came out and walked over to his prone form. Kneeling down the guy inspected him.

?:"I honestly didn't expect you to put up so much of a fight, you sure gave the boys a run for their money"

Steven:"*Groans* W-Who are you?"

The figure chuckled before removing his helmet. Underneath was a bald man with scars littering his face. His right eye was an amber color while his left was a milky white, indicating that he was blind in that eye. With a cruel grin he responded.

?:"My name is Reznikov and you belong to me now"

With that he raised a foot in the air and slammed it down on Stevens face.


	23. Chapter 23 The Beginning of An End

Normal Pov.

Steven groaned as he returned to the waking world. Slowly he opens his eyes and fines himself in a place he doesn't recognize.

It was a dark rectangular room with nothing in it. The only source of light was from slits in the walls near the ceiling. Then the room started to shake and he felt himself slide across the floor and hit one of the walls. Groaning a little he figured that this is not a room but a trailer that's most likely attached to a truck. That also meant that he was being taken somewhere. Not wanting to find out where he's being taken he tried to get up only to fined himself unable to. Curious he looked down and saw the reason why.

He was wrapped up in thick cables with harpoons sticking out of him.

This revelation brought forth a flood of memories. He remembers how he took Lapis and Peridot to Beach City, had fun at the beach, got some pizza, visited the arcade, the fight with Kevin, the soldiers, and finally being captured. Fully aware of the situation he was in, Steven began trying to get free of the cables.

He struggled and the cables refused to yield. Then the pain made itself known to him. Biting his tongue to hold back the scream that desperately wanted to get out, he continued to struggle. In hindsight he should have realize that he still had holes in his body thanks to the harpoons still in him.

After what felt like forever Steven gave up. He realizes that he's not getting out of this anytime soon so its best wait and see where he's going.

...

Hours pass before the shaking stops. Steven could hear voices outside but had a hard time making out what was being said. Before long the back of the trailer opens up and Steven could hardly see due to light flooding into the dark trailer. Soon a figure climes into the trailer and crouches over him.

?:"You awake freak?"

The only reply the man got was a deep growl.

?:"Well fuck you to then"

The guy then proceeded to drag him by the feet out of the trailer and dumping me onto the ground outside. It only took a moment for Stevens eyes to adjust to the new lighting but when they did he couldn't help but shutter a little.

There were dozens of men and women all dressed in the same outfit as the guy at the arcade with their guns pointed right at him. He wouldn't be scared if not for the fact that they might have those armor piercing rounds that seem to go through his armor. His eyes soon spot the man that brought him.

Reznikov:"Good to see that your awake"

Steven:"*Growls* Where am I?"

Reznikov:"*Chuckles* That's a secret"

He raises a hand and ushers some soldiers to get Steven to his feet.

Reznikov:"For now you'll follow me. Oh and welcome to Watchdogs HQ"

He soon walked off with Steven, unwillingly, following behind. Using this moment Steven observed his surroundings.

He was in what he could guess was a hanger of sorts, with all the vehicles and helicopters strewn about. The walls appear to be made completely out of concrete and one of these walls had a sort of observation deck built into it. The ceiling was about 30 feet in the air and had turrets hanging from it, said turrets were aimed right at him and following his every move. Behind him he could barely see the massive blast-doors that block him off from the outside world. Looking forward he saw a platform that lead down a shaft. Upon stepping onto it the platform began moving down, indicating that it was some kind of elevator.

Reznikov:"See anything you like?"

Steven:"*Snarls* Not you"

Reznikov burst into laughter while the guards that accompanied us shifted uncomfortably. Once the platform reached the bottom of the shaft did Reznikov stop laughing.

Reznikov:"You got jokes kid"

Steven:"The only joke here is your face"

Now the guards were shaking terribly and it just kept getting worse when Reznikov turned to Steven with a cruel smile.

Reznikov:"Were gonna get along just fine"

With that he walked off down a hallway with Steven and the guards close behind.

Going down the hallway they passed by various rooms. Some of them looked to be storage rooms and others were just empty. Just as they were about to reach a juncture Steven peered into a room on his right and his eyes widened in horror.

Inside the room were cages and inside those cages were corrupted gems. They look as if they were tortured given the state they were in. What really made his blood boil was the shards that littered the floor.

This didn't go unnoticed as Reznikov peered into the room as well.

Reznikov:"Ah yes the other occupants of the facility. I do hope you get along with them"

Then he left with Steven being forced to follow but before turned away from the room he saw one of the corrupted gems look at him. Its eyes were filled with fear and it whimpered to him as if asking for help. Steven swore on the spot that he would free them from this place no matter what.

_Steven:"*Thoughts* Once I figure out how to escape this place I'll make damn sure that I free them and take them to MY haven. For now I need to keep a low profile and not show all my cards"_

After some time they had finally reached their destination. It was a rather large room with nothing but white panels for the floor, walls, and ceiling. Steven would have asked why they're here but was shoved into the room and fell to the floor. Straining his head he only saw Reznikov smiling at him before the door closed. Before long a speaker went off.

_?:"Welcome subject 0374 my name is Dr. Annabel and I'll be documenting you during the tests"_

Steven:"Test, what test?"

_Dr. Annabel:"*Sigh* I see that Reznikov forgot to inform you on what's about to happen"_

Steven would have pressed for more if not for sections of the floor opening up around him. Then robotic arms popped out of the openings and grabbed him. In seconds the cables and harpoons were removed from him. Taking a moment to realize what had just happened Steven hesitantly got to his feet and stretched his limbs. Once he was sure feeling had properly returned to him he checked the holes made by the harpoons. He watched as the holes closed themselves up and the armor that was damaged repair itself.

_Dr. Annabel:"Remarkable, you appear to have some sort of healing factor. Oh this means I don't have to worry about you dying on me!"_

Steven:"Wait what?"

Before he knows it a ringing sound echos across the room. Steven covered his ears due to how loud the noise was which made it impossible to see the threat coming towards him. In seconds something exploded against him and sent him flying across the room. He hit the wall hard but thankfully his armor protected him from most of the damage. Getting to his feet he looks around and spots a turret at the far end of the room with multiple missiles attached to it. The turret faces at him for a moment before firing another missile.

Steven:"Oh Shit!"

He bolted across the room and trying to dodge the missile. Sadly it was a heat seeking missile so it just followed him. Getting annoyed by the chase Steven turned on his heel and struck a hand out. The missile was in his face within seconds and thankfully he was fast enough to grab it. The missile wiggled in his hand but Steven held firm and with his free hand he grabbed the warhead and ripped it off. The rocket sputtered for a moment before stopping dead. Dropping the missile he turned to the turret and threw the warhead at it. In seconds the things exploded along with the other missiles creating a huge explosion.

Steven:"Is that all you got!"

Suddenly dozens of panels opened and out came more missile turrets along with some Gatling guns. They all online and aim straight at Steven.

Steven:"Me and my big mouth"

...

Steven doesn't know how long he's been in here but he knows its been more then a few hours. Scattered across the room were the remains of the turrets that shot at him. Some were just piles of scrap metal while others were on fire.

As for Steven he sustained minimal damage thanks to his armor taking the hits. Surprisingly the bullets and missiles started hurting less and less as he was hit. He chalked this up to what Dr. Maheswaran had told him a while back about how his body seems to evolve and adapt when exposed to things that could kill him. With that he was able to figure that his body, and by extension his armor, seems to adapt to the bullets and missiles that he was hit with. He couldn't help but smile at the fact that if anything they threw at him didn't kill him he would become immune and/or invulnerable to.

He was brought out of his musings by the speaker sounding off.

_Dr. Annabel:"Well done 0374 you've made it through the test. Now were going to move onto something a little more... invasive"_

He did not like the sound of that.

_Dr. Annabel:"Begin pumping the room full of chemicals"_

Vents opened up on the ceiling some strange liquid was sprayed into the room. Steven had no idea of what was being sprayed on him and if he should be worried about it. Soon he began to feel his chest tighten making it hard to breath. Then he started to have trouble seeing in front of himself as things kept going in and out of focus. Suddenly he felt his nose run followed by his eyes and ears leaking as well, he reached up with a hand to wipe off whatever was leaking from his body. Once he rubbed his hand across his face he pulled it back and saw it covered in blood. This horrified Steven but things didn't stop there as he began having a coughing fit. Bring up his other hand to cover his mouth and when he pulled back he saw nothing but blood cover it. He began to panic at what was happening but before he could even move he felt every muscle in his body come alive with white hot pain. His whole body convulsed in agony against his will and he soon fell to the floor spasming uncontrollably. Steven came to a horrifying realization that he was about to die.

Steven:"I-I guess this is... t-the end"

He slowly closed his eyes and excepted his fate.

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_?̶̧̒̓̊̒͒̂̌̊̃̂?̵͚͇́͜?̵̦͖̬͚̰͕̜̹̭͉̃̈́͐͜͠:̷̧̧̧̠͈͖̬̞̔̒̇͊́̔́̐̏̕͝"̸̺̩̞̦̤͚͚͎̜̗̄̎̽̽̀̓̀̈́͐̑̉̌̎̚ͅẄ̶̡̛͍͔̦̜̪͇̻̞͍̣̲́̉̾͛͗͐̓̈́̋̓́͂̄̓h̶̡̡̛̪̗̮͔̩͍̒͆̇̔̉̈̋̔͠ỏ̴̢̮̦̞̺̗͉̌͑͌̈̽͒͛̀̉̕̕ ̶͇̞͇̫̳̭̥̈̒̓̅́̌̕͜͝͝s̴͎̦̯̺̾̃̂̔̓̑́a̵̲̦͖͌͛͗̓͘̕͘͝ị̵̹̫̗͉̥͗͛̍́͌̂́̌̓̑͌̅͋̔̕d̴͉͂͗͂̑̓͗̑́́͗̿̀͝ ̸̛͎͚̰̘͈̥̹̅̈͐͊̃̀̉̍͠ͅỵ̶͕͙̞͎̻͚̥̹͚͇̿̽̂́̍̈́̽̿́͂̚͝͝͝o̸̯̠͉̗͎̘̜̯͖̞̯͙͇̔̎̇̉̔̅̆͆́̇̓̿̚ű̶̹͇͓̹͍̥̪͔͉͒̓̃͆͋̈́̅͌̑̕͜ ̴̰͕̹̲̙͗̅͆c̶̙̗̉͊͘͝ô̸̪̭̐͌̋̈́̏̿̇͛̊̏̽̂ư̴̻̠͎̘̲̯̓̽͌̓̾̽̀̅͂̆͠͝l̸̞̗̈́̀̕d̷̡̧͍͇̫͍̥͈͇̪̞̮̖͇̐͒̂̈̓̑͌̓̆̓̀̕͜ ̴̨̛̘͉̙̪̰͚̠͇͖͈̿̈́̉̓͐̈́̈̓̅̋̚͜ḑ̵̰̦̉̅͂́̀̂̈̀̏͝ì̶̤̞̱͍̤̥̘͈͔̄̓̾̈́͛͊̈́̚ȩ̶͉̤̩̬͙͍̲̭̈́̾͗͆͛̚"̸̢̙͔̭̖̬̊̏̍̉͛͝͝͝ͅ_

...

Dr. Annabel watched from the observation room near the ceiling of the room. Annabel was a attractive blond girl with her hair in a ponytail, had blue eyes with glasses over them, and had a small burn scar just below her left cheek. She was kinda disappointed that this new test subject doesn't seem to be able to withstand the sarin gas.

The sarin gas, also known as GB, is one of the most deadly chemical weapons on the planet. The thing causes anyone that comes into contact with it to have a violent death. It could kill a full grown man in 1 to 10 minutes with symptoms that at first make it impossible to tell if they are in any real danger. It was outlawed by the CWC due to it being considered a weapon of mass destruction.

How WD got their hands on it was better left unsaid.

Suddenly the console near her flashed red and she was on it immediately. The console screen showed readings of an unknown energy that is reaching dangerously high levels. Checking the source the screen showed it was coming from the test subject.

Dr. Annabel:"Give me video feed on 0374 now!"

In moments a screen above her came to life and showed the inside of the testing room. What shocked the doctor was the fact that Stevens body was surrounded by a pink aura. She watched with wrapped attention as he slowly rises from the floor. Then he slowly turned his head towards the camera and Dr. Annabel couldn't help but feel terrified. He was looking right at her with hollow eye sockets and an insane, sharp fanged smile.

Then he roared.

The power behind the roar reached all the way to the observation deck and knocked a few of the other doctors to the floor with Dr. Annabel nearly joining them. She couldn't help but be astounded by the raw power he displayed just by roaring. For the first time in years she smiled.

Dr. Annabel:"You just became a whole lot more interesting 0374"

She watched as Steven began running around the room and leaping off the walls at incredible speeds. Her smile only grew when one of her assistance's came over and showed me their data-pad.

Dr. Annabel:"Remarkable he's burned through the GB and it appears his body has become completely immune to it. I want that room to be pumped with VX, Mustard Gas, Chlorine, and lastly Phosgene"

Assistant:"But ma'am exposure to those may very well kill the subject!"

Dr. Annabel:"If it can survive the sarin gas then it sure as hell can hold up to the others. Now I want those chemicals pumped into that room NOW!"

Reluctantly the assistant obliged and pumped the room full of the most dangerous chemical weapons on the planet.

At first it didn't seem to affect Steven but within a few minutes the signs started to show. The most common signs of the weapons showed first before moving onto the deadlier ones. While that was happening Stevens body was convulsing unnaturally and his skin started to bubbles and pop causing blood to spill onto the floor. Some of the staff watching became sick at the site while Dr. Annabel had a grin filled with madness.

Suddenly Steven released an unholy roar as his pink aura turned red. Dr. Annabel watched with glee as his body changed into a much more ferocious state. Many of the staff feared for their lives once they saw the red pits staring back at them.

Assistant:"Ma'am I think we should sedate him now"

Dr Annabel:"No! We are not sedating him until I fully understand what this berserk like state is capable of!"

Assistant:"But ma'am-"

Random Staff:"What's it doing?!"

Both Dr. Annabel and her assistant turned to the monitor to see a peculiar sight. In the room Steven was on all fours and his limbs bent. They watch the muscles bulge to twice their original size while he was getting lower to the floor.

Then like a loaded gun he shot off.

Steven propelled through the air like a bullet straight towards the observation deck. When he made contact with the glass screen a tremor was sent through the room that knocked many back down to the floor. Not a second later Steven was beating on the glass relentlessly with immense strength but did not break through.

Random Staff:"Ha! You can't break through that, it was designed to take tank shells like they were nothing!"

Steven merely growled before rearing one arm back as far as he could then launched it at the glass. Once the fist made contact dozens of cracks formed. Steven smiled at the sight of the color draining from his tormentors faces.

Assistant:"You just had to go and taunt it didn't you!"

Steven reared back his arm and repeated the process again, creating even more cracks.

Assistant:"Doctor what do we do?!"

Another blow and even more cracks.

Assistant:"Doctor?!"

Just as Steven was about to send one final blow the vents hissed. Confused he looked up and saw some kind of gas cloud leak into the room. Before long he started to feel woozy and his eyes began to droop. In moments he lost his grip and fell to the floor before entering a slumber.

The staff all turn to Dr. Annabel and saw her hand on a big red button.

Dr Annabel:"I believe we have enough data from this experiment. Now if you'll excuse me I have a meeting to attend"

With that she left the room leaving her assistant and the staff to clean up the mess.

...

In a dark room stood Dr. Annabel and Reznikov directly in front of a computer screen that took up almost an entire wall. Said screen was black with the words "Sound Only" on it in white.

_?:"Report"_

Dr. Annabel:"Sir the data we have collected from the subject has shown that he could very well be the ultimate life-form. He's capable of withstanding immense damage and is able to evolve/adapt to anything we expose him to. It took him only minutes to become immune to the sarin gas and even with the combination of the other chemical weapons he just adapted to them. The there's the berserker like state he entered"

_?:"Berserker like state?"_

Dr. Annabel:"Yes. After exposure to the other chemical weapons he entered this state and proceeded to assault the observation deck. Even though the protective screening is able to take tank shells with ease he was able to put cracks in it with nothing but brute strength alone. I recommend that I be allowed to continue experimenting on it to see just how far his ability to evolve/adapt could go"

_?:"Your thoughts Reznikov?"_

Reznikov:"I'm fine with the good doctor having her fun, but such ventures would more then likely result in casualties"

_?:"Then what do you suggest?"_

Reznikov:"I believe we should just open him up and see what makes him tick. This way we don't have to risk the lives of our troops and the doctor gets as many samples as she wants"

_?:"Are you okay with this idea doctor?"_

Dr. Annabel:"As much as I would prefer to keep doing test my way I'll humor Reznikov idea"

_?:"Then it's settled. You will begin dissection immediately, understood"_

Dr. Annabel/Reznikov:"Yes sir!"

_?:"Good. Contact me when you are finished"_

With that the screen shut off and the only two occupants of the room walked out.

...

Slowly Steven returned to the waking world with an aching body. Once he was sure he could see he took a look at the room he was in.

It was a dimly lit room with white walls and ceiling. Turning his head as much as he could he saw many different machines strewn about with many different people working on them. What made him nervous was the buzz saws, drills, claws, and what he could only assumed were laser guns that look far to advance to be made by humans hanging above him on robotic limbs.

Steven:"*Sluggish* What happened?"

?:"I had you be put to sleep to ensure that you wouldn't try and kill anyone"

Steven snapped his head in the direction of the voice and spotted a blond haired women in doctor clothing. It took him a moment to remember the voice but when he did he glare murderously at her.

Dr. Annabel:"I suggest you stop glaring or else I'll make this even more painful then it has to be"

Steven:"*Growl* What are you talking about"

Dr. Annabel:"Haven't you figured it out yet, your about to be cut open"

Dread made itself known to Steven. He began to try and move but all that did was gave him pain. Looking down he sees his limbs restrained by advance looking clamps and as a added bonus his joints had metal rods going through them. There was also a strange tingling feeling in his sides and with some strained effort he saw the reason why. Jabbed against his sides were small constructs that were sending a current of energy at him. The areas that are being hit had formed energy-lines similar to when he went through the destabilizer field on the hand ship that Jasper and Peridot arrived in.

Dr. Annabel:"Like that? We found some alien tech in some ruins that clearly wasn't made by humans. After reverse engineering it we were able to make things that were remarkable. Of course we had to test it on the other specimens, which lead to some of them expiring, but hay we were able to develop something to weaken you and your 'abilities'. We wouldn't have been able to get those rods in otherwise"

?:"Enough delay doctor lets get this show on the road"

Turning his head once more he saw the man who brought him to this hell, Reznikov.

Reznikov:"After all if we delay any longer he'll adapt to the nullifier and we won't be able to open him up, so move quickly!"

Dr. Annabel started typing on the console in front of her and the tools above Steven came to life. Slowly they descended onto Steven and attacked his armor. Try as they might none of them even made a dent in the armor. The saws would break, drills would snap in half, and lasers would overheat. Some of the tools had to be replaced by the staff and at the rate they were breaking would lead to them running out of replacements.

This infuriated the doctor.

Dr. Annabel:"*Frustrated* This is getting us nowhere! Even though his body has weakened enough, thanks to the nullifier, for us to break the skin its still not enough to get through the armor!"

Reznikov:"Doctor why not instead of attacking head on we go at it from the sides"

Dr. Annabel looked at him in confusion before finally understanding what he means. With a grin she typed in a new command on the console.

The tools pulled back from Stevens armor which confused him. The tools then lowered once more but this time at different areas. The saws cut at the exposed flesh around the chest armor resulting in tremendous pain. Once done the claws came down and gripped the armor. Steven barely had time to brace himself as the claws pulled roughly. With a shout of agony the chest armor was removed along with the flesh beneath it. Thus leaving his chest cavity exposed.

There exposed to the world was his rib cage. In no-time the drills came down on the bone and got to work on removing it. It was pure agony for Steven as he felt his ribs crack and break. The staff came over and removed the pieces of bone that was broken off. As for the ones still stubbornly attached to him they were forcefully pulled out by the claws and resulted in a roar of pain from Steven each time. This pain was so intense thoughts couldn't even be made at his time.

Once the bones were cleared the doctor and her staff had full access to his organs. They all gazed upon them with fascination in their eyes. Dr. Annabel came over and placed her hand on one of the three beating hearts. She can feel as the heart thumps against her hand and she couldn't help but grin.

Dr. Annabel:"Amazing. To think your biology would be so unique. Three hearts and four lungs to insure if one was damaged it would have others to compensate. A stomach twice as big but no entrails, this could mean that its capable of fully digesting anything it eats and leaves nothing to waste"

She motioned for the staff to come closer.

Dr. Annabel:"I want one of those hearts and a set of lungs removed immediately! Also make sure to up the power on the nullifier so it doesn't adapt to quickly"

The staff complied and grabbed tools before getting to work along with increasing the nullifiers power. They cut at the organs while Steven was thrashing as best he could screaming his head off. It didn't take long for one of the hearts to be removed along side a set of longs due to how open and exposed he is. The doctor gazed upon the organs in fascination as they were placed into containers. Said containers had a liquid inside that preserved anything put in it. Once the containers were sealed they were quickly moved to a separate table. She was surprise that Steven hadn't fallen unconscious from the pain alone but shrugged it off.

Her gaze soon shifted down to the gem at his navel.

Dr. Annabel:"I want that gem removed at once!"

The staff complied and began cutting around it. It was tough to cut around it due to the armor surrounding it, hell it would have went unnoticed had the doctor not point it out. The gem blended in perfectly with the armor surrounding it. Soon the staff finished cutting the flesh around it and Dr. Annabel grabbed it in her greedy hands.

She heard Stevens breath hitch and turned to face him. She saw the horror in his eyes with tears streaming down his face and could faintly hear him pleading for her not to do it. Eyes still locked she smiled wickedly and pulled.

_*RIP*_

Dr. Annabel:"Well now what do we have here?"

In her hands was Stevens bloody gem but said gem was not what she had expected it to be. Instead of one of the various gem types she had collected thanks to the beasts that were brought in, this was something even rarer.

It was a Diamond.

Dr. Annabel:"Who knew you had such a treasure on you!"

Wiping the blood off she held it in front of her face, twisting it around to see the whole thing. It was bigger then her hand and had quite the weight to it. She turned her attention back to Steven and was met with a wide eyed stare.

Steven:"T-That's not... r-right"

Dr. Annabel:"What do you mean?"

Steven:"T-They told m-me... that my m-mother was a... r-rose quarts, not a... d-diamond"

Dr. Annabel:"*Chuckles* Well it seems that you've been lied to. This clearly isn't a quarts, let alone a rose quarts "

Stevens facial features started to slack and his breathing started to slow.

Steven:"Just... a-another secret... they kept... from... m-meeeeeeeeee-"

With one final breath his remaining hearts stopped and his vitals dropped.

Steven Universe is dead.

...

Outside the room Dr. Annabel stood with Reznikov.

Reznikov:"A diamond, who'd have thought"

Dr. Annabel:"Yes a diamond was something I wasn't expecting either"

Reznikov:"So what are you gonna do with the body?"

Dr. Annabel:"I'm gonna have the rest of it cut open. I still have to see how the arm and leg muscles are able to give 0374 its strength. There's also the brain that I want to pick at sooooo"

Reznikov:"*Sigh* Just don't pull an all nighter like last time"

Dr. Annabel:"*Annoyed* Fine. Now if you'll excuse me I have research to do"

With that she went back into the dissection room. Not seconds later the door opened again and two carts were pushed out. One had the heart and lungs in their containers while the last cart had the diamond in its own separate container.

Reznikov gazed at the gem as it floated in the fluids of its container. He couldn't help but get a bad feeling about it, like something terrible was unleashed.

Shaking his head he ignored the feeling and walked off somewhere deeper in the facility.

Never seeing the gem faintly glow.


	24. Chapter 24 Trenchant

Normal Pov.

Lapis and Peridot stayed in the ally where Steven had left them. They did not dare leave until they were certain that it was safe to move. After a time the sounds of gunfire and screaming had ceased. Taking a chance Lapis went to the end of the ally and poked her head out. The sight before her was horrifying.

The streets were littered with bodies. They laid lifelessly on the ground with bullet holes riddling their bodies. The few that lay in the road were twisted and mangled at odd angles with clear indication that they were run over. Not wanting to see anymore Lapis quickly went back and grabbed Peridot before rocketing off into the sky with her water wings.

It didn't take long for them to return to the beach house. They rushed inside and found the other gems sitting around doing nothing. This angered Lapis and before she could even say a word Pearl was on them.

Pearl:"What are you two doing here, shouldn't you be with Steven back at the barn?"

Amethyst:"Ya and what's with all that racket outside, woke me from my nap"

Lapis looked ready to explode with the way her face was changing from blue to red. Peridot saw the look Lapis was making and tried to calm her down while giving the gems a glare.

Peridot:"Why didn't you clods think to go out and see what was going on!?"

Garnet:"We were preoccupied with other matters"

Peridot:"*Suspicious* And what matters would that be?"

Garnet:"That's none of your concern"

Peridot fumed at this but let it go. She instead focused on keeping Lapis calm, which seems to be working somewhat.

Pearl:"By the way do you know what was causing all that noise. It sounded like screaming and since your here I can only guess what they were screaming about"

This reignited Lapis's anger and in seconds she had here hands wrapped around Pearls little neck. Pearls gasped and started clawing at the hands while Lapis was looking at her with murderous intent.

Lapis:"You have no right to say that, especially after what just happened!"

Garnet and Amethyst immediately jumped forward to restrain Lapis. Try as they might her grip held firm on the pale gems neck, refusing to let go. In a last ditch effort Garnet summoned her gauntlets and punched Lapis. The blow was enough to cause Lapis to release Pearl as she was sent flying into a wall. Peridot rushed over to check if Lapis, who was dazed but thankfully her gem wasn't cracked. With a growl she once more glared at the gems with renewed vigor.

Peridot:"We're leaving"

Peridot put one of Lapis's arms over her shoulder and started to drag her to the warp pad. She didn't even make it halfway before the gems blocked her path.

Peridot:"Move!"

Garnet:"Not until you give us an explanation as to why she attacked Pearl and for what she meant by 'What just happened'. So start talking"

Peridot:"I don't have to say anything to you!"

Then Amethyst, hesitantly, summoned her whip and Pearl following her example.

Amethyst:"*Apologetically* Sorry but you don't really have a choice"

Peridot was not in the mood for this.

Peridot:"Move, NOW"

Pearl:"*Chuckles* Or what?"

Suddenly Peridots gem started to glow brightly as her face morphed into one of rage. Unnoticed by the gems the pots, pans, and anything else made of metal started to shake.

Garnet:"Now tell us what's going on or we'll have to force it out of you."

The way Garnet was talking down to Peridot made Amethyst feel a little uneasy.

Amethyst:"Garnet are you sure we should do this? Steven will more then likely tear us apart even if we have a reason"

Pearl:"Doesn't matter, that THING needs to learn who's in charge"

That set Peridot off. With a shout she raised a hand towards them and everything metal was sent at them. Amethyst dived under the coffee table while Pearl and Garnet were bombarded by house appliances.

Peridot:"You don't deserve to know after what you've been doing to Steven!"

The TV was launched at Pearl but Garnet was quick enough to deal with it.

Peridot:"None of you have the right to know that Steven was attacked by humans since you seem to treat him as if he was a burden instead of family!"

Kitchen knifes flew through the air and stabbed into Garnet. Luckily for her they didn't go to deep so she was able to keep her form. She didn't get the time to remove them since a frying pan smashed into her face, leaving a noticeable dent.

Peridot:"For all we know Steven could have been kidnapped but instead of worrying you three are more concerned with yourself's! DO you even care about Steven!"

Pearl raised her spear into the air and was about to throw it at Peridot but was stopped by the kitchen sink crashing into her.

Peridot:"Ever since he became corrupted you've all been mean and hurtful! It's like you don't care about him at all!"

She couldn't hold it any longer and broke down crying. Tears streamed down her face as she crumbled to the floor and let her emotions run free. The various metal objects that were floating in the air dropped to the ground as Peridot let go of her control. As she cried Lapis, who had came to, brought her into a hug as she cried on her shoulder. Lapis sent a glare at the three gems as she picked up Peridot and cradled her in her arms and with so much venom in her voice she says.

Lapis:"And you call yourselves the good-guys"

With that she walked over to the warp pad and warped away, leaving behind the gems and a destroyed house.

...

When the warp pads beam died down Lapis stepped off with Peridot still in her arms. She made her way to the barn and once inside she sat down on a hay pile. Before long she was shedding tears along with Peridot as the weight of what really happened hit her. The two cried for what felt like hours and even if they ran out of tears it wouldn't stop the feeling of utter sorrow in their hearts.

Lapis:"*Chokes* W-What are we going to do?"

It took a minute for Peridot to somewhat calm down and respond.

Peridot:"W-Were going to g-go find h-him"

Lapis:"*Snuffle* How?"

She didn't answer, instead she got up and walked over to a corner of the barn. In said corner were the broken parts of the drill used to reach the cluster. Peridot started taking it apart and using the pieces to construct something. After some time she finished what she was making and presented it to Lapis.

Lapis:"What is it?"

Peridot:"This is a tracking device that should lead us to Stevens location"

Lapis:"And how is it gonna do that?"

Peridot:"Simple really. I just need a sample of his gems energy and I should be able to track him. Problem is that I don't know where to find a sample"

Lapis:"Can't we just head back to the city and see if there's any residue of his gems energy there?"

Peridot:"No, any residue of Stevens gem energy would have long since dissipated by now. What we need is a fresh source or something that still has trace amounts of his energy"

Just then a memorie popped up in Lapis's head and she couldn't help but grin.

Lapis:"I might have an idea of where we can get your sample"

...

Once the warp stream died down Lapis and Peridot were expecting to end up in Stevens personal sanctuary that's filled with life, only to be horrified by what they saw.

The once lushes forest that made up the valley looked more like a graveyard. The trees were withered and all their leafs have long since fallen off. Healthy green grass that once covered the ground was no longer healthy but instead looked as dead as the trees. Even the crystals that use to glow a bright blue were nothing more then gray husks of their former beauty.

The sight of this made Lapis and Peridot worried.

Lapis:"Why is the forest like this?

Peridot:"I don't know"

The two made their way through the dead forest in search of their sample. During their search Peridot began questioning Lapis as to why they came here.

Peridot:"You still haven't told me why we came here?"

Lapis:"The reason why were here is because I believe we can get your sample from the tree man that Steven created. They were made by Stevens powers so they should have the sample you need on them"

Peridot:"*Surprised* That actually makes sense. Steven made them with his gems power so they should have the sample I need. *Mutters* Why didn't I think of coming here"

The two continued to search the withered forest for the tree man. It took them hours but eventual did find them in a clearing but where horrified by what they saw.

Scattered across the open field were the tree man in a state similar to the forest. Each of them were withered and broken. Some were missing limbs and sporting a lot of cracks on their bark while others looked far worse. Sadly almost all of them had already perished if the lack of any pink glow from their sockets was any indication. One still seems to be alive but looks ready to parish at any moment.

The sight of this brought Peridot to tears once more while Lapis tried her best not cry, though a few tears still went down her cheeks. Slowly the two walked over to the sole survivor, which happened to be Timber, and placed their hands on his chest. They felt him shift slightly and let out a weak rumble in greeting.

Lapis:"Hey Timber, its been awhile"

Timber tries to raise a hand to pat her but said hand groans and starts to crack.

Lapis:"Stop! You'll hurt yourself if you move it anymore!"

Timber reluctantly lowers his hand with a wine.

Lapis:"Peridot get your sample"

Peridot nods and begins scanning Timber while Lapis comforts him. After a minute the scan was complete and they had a location of Stevens whereabouts. This cause Peridot to jump with joy as a result.

Peridot:"I got it! I-"

Her celebration was short-lived as she saw the look on Lapis's face. Realization hit and shakily she asked.

Peridot:"H-How long?"

Lapis let out a choked sob as she spoke.

Lapis:"H-He may h-have only a f-few moments l-left"

Once finished she openly cried and Peridot wanted to join her but had something to say first.

Peridot:"Then lets stay with him till the end"

And so the two stayed by Timbers side and watched. They stayed by his side, comforting him as his life slowly slipped away. Lapis and Peridot were having a hard time holding back their sorrow as they watched a friend slowly pass away. Even so they forced a smile on their faces and comforted Timber. Then with one final groan the light in Timbers sockets went out and his body went limp.

The two couldn't hold back anymore and let the tears flow down their faces as they openly sobbed. The two held each other as they let their sorrow out without restraint. In their grieve they did not notice the figures approaching. It was only when the sound a twig snapping did they whip their heads around and spot the intruders. Seeing them replaces Lapis's sorrow with anger as she looked upon the figures.

Lapis:"*Snarls* What are you three doing here!"

Standing not too far away were the Crystal Gems. Said gems had their weapons out though Amethyst looked just as reluctant as before.

Garnet:"So this is where you two went"

Lapis took a defensive stance in front of Peridot and brought out a pair of water fists just in case.

Lapis:"*Growl* You shouldn't be here!"

Pearl:"We don't care, all that matters is that you come quietly before we have to get... physical"

Pearl marched towards Lapis with Garnet and Amethyst in tow. As they got closer Lapis's temper grew and, unnoticed by all, gold splotches started to appear along her right arm.

Garnet:"Now explain where Steven is before we -"

She didn't get to finish as the water fist is sent at her, colliding with her chest. The blow sent her flying threw the air along with some trees. Pearl and Amethyst were momentarily stunned by this sudden action giving Lapis enough time to send another fist at Pearl. Pearl was barely able to dodge the attack but was not prepared for it to do a complete 360 degrees and hit her from behind. Amethyst tried to spindash towards Lapis but was stopped by a water hammer flattening her.

Lapis:"You will suffer for your treatment of Steven!"

She then conjured up a water sword and launched herself towards her opponents. As she got closer the gold splotches that covered her right arm had spread to cover half her face and her teeth sharpened. Pearl had just got back to her feet only to be pinned to the ground by a water sword through the chest. She gasped and gripped the sword before gazing upon its owner with her eyes widening in terror. The face of a somewhat corrupted Lapis with sickening grin was all she saw before poofing.

Lapis couldn't help but giggle a little after poofing the gem she despised with a passion. Then upon hearing a whimper she slowly turned her head towards the source. Sitting on the ground was none other then Amethyst with fear in her eyes. Her sickening grin widened and slowly she stalked towards her, dragging her blade along the way. She soon stood over the whimpering quartz and began raising her sword into the air, ready to finish her. Just as she was about to bring down the blade Garnet burst out the tree line and charged her. Without even a word Lapis conjured up a water wall that Garnet slammed into. Garnet then began beating against the wall but couldn't break it.

Garnet:"Lapis!"

Lapis just giggled at her rage and it soon turned into full blown hysteria. As she laughed Amethyst tried to crawl away but was stopped by a water chain restraining her and dragging back. Amethyst soon found herself at Lapis's feet and couldn't help but feel dread as Lapis gazed upon her with a twisted grin. Lapis then turned her gaze back to the enraged fusion before speaking in a warped voice.

Lapis:"NoW yOu WiLl WaTcH aS I sHaTtEr YoUr FrIeNd!"

She raised her sword back into the air and laughed as she brought it down.

?:"Lapis stop!"

The blade stopped near inches from Amethyst gem. Slowly Lapis turned her head to the source of the voice. There standing next to the corpse of Timber was Peridot with tears still streaming down her face.

Peridot:" Please Lapis don't become something your not"

As her words reached Lapis said gem gained back her sanity and looked at herself. She gazed upon the corruption that's spread across her and took a shuttering breath.

Lapis:"WhAt HaVe I bEcOmE?"

So focused on herself she let the control of her powers go and the water constructs came undone. Using this to her advantage Garnet rushed towards Lapis with her fist pulled back. Sadly she wasn't exactly quiet about it and spooked Lapis. Lapis quickly conjured up water wings and flew into the sky.

Garnet:"Get back down here now!"

Lapis did not obey and simply flew to Peridot. She quickly snatched her up before rocketing away from the valley, leaving behind an enraged fusion and a terrified quartz.

Once they were a good distance away Lapis spoke.

Lapis:"So WhErE iS tHaT sCaNnEr PoInTiNg?"

Peridot checked it before replying.

Peridot:"Just keep heading north and we should reach him eventually"

Lapis nodded looking north with determination.

Lapis:"HoLd On StEvEn, WeRe CoMiNg"


	25. Chapter 25 Fire And Fury

Normal POV.

On a table inside a pure white room sat a clear container with a pink diamond suspended inside. Scientists moved about the room taking notes of the gem and typing away on nearby computers. Some even started strapping things to the container as a nearby machine pumped out charts.

Suddenly a door on the far side of the room opened up and a familiar blondie walked in.

Dr. Annabel:"What do we got so far?"

Random Scientists:"I don't know where to begin. The gem is radiating energy levels that could power an entire city. That's not even given the fact that all attempts to chip off a piece have proven impossible"

Dr. Annabel:"Impossible?"

Random Scientists:"*Nods* Yes. We tried using lasers to cut a piece off but..."

He points to a laser cutter that's on a separate table. Said cutter looks to have been blown up since half of it is missing and the other half is chard black.

Random Scientists:"The gem itself is just too tough to even crack. I'm afraid we'll never be able to open it up"

Dr. Annabel:"*Sighs* That's fine. What about the heart and set of lungs?"

Random Scientists:"Now there we made progress. The heart appears to-"

As he went on with his explanation neither of them notice the gem beginning to glow. The glow kept getting brighter and brighter until everyone in the room noticed.

Random Scientists:"Why is it glowing?"

Dr. Annabel stares at the gem intently, curious of what it was doing. Only when something started to form around it did she panic.

Dr. Annabel:"It's trying to form a new body, quickly get the destabilizer! We need to stop it from taking form!"

Scientists rush around the room, frantically searching for the device. Crates were opened, drawers were pulled out, even cabinets were torn open but still no sign of the destabilizer.

By now the gem had managed to form a pink arm that it used to shattered its container. It was sent to the floor by the liquid that suspended it and the scientists began panicking.

Random Scientists 2:"It broke its containment!"

The moment the gem hit the floor it quickly continued forming its body. As the scientists panicked Dr. Annabel took this as her cue to leave. The moment she left the gem had finished making its body.

The scientists watch in awe and fear as this new being got its feet. It was massive, towering over them at around 12 feet tall. It entire body was light pink with a sort of blank body that resembles a male figure with a pair of dark pink, feathery wings. Sharp claws replace regular fingers and the same could be said for the feet. The head was also blank like the body with no mouth or hair anywhere but did have a pair of eyes. Said eyes were just like Stevens, sclera black with a pink iris, but with one key difference.

The pupils were diamond shaped.

It gazed upon the terrified scientists with unblinking eyes. One guy tried to inch away towards the door but was stopped by the thing jabbing its claws through his chest. The man gasped and choked on his own blood as he was lifted high in the air. The others watch fearfully as it grabbed both of his legs with its free hand. All the man could do was let out a whimper before it tore him in half.

Blood and organs spill across the room and one female scientists let out a scream. This sparked the others to all try and flee the room but were cut down in a similar, gory fashion.

...

Dr. Annabel ran down the hall nonstop, trying to get as far away as possible. The screams of agony she heard back the way she came put more pep in her step. Looking ahead she spotted the familiar face of Reznikov and called out to him.

Dr. Annabel:"HEY STOP!"

Reznikov turned around to meet the doctor.

Reznikov:"*Annoyed* What is it now women"

Dr. Annabel stopped in front of him and took a moment to catch her breath before replying.

Dr. Annabel:"*Nervous chuckle* Remember that diamond I pulled out of the subject"

Reznikov:"*Confused* Yes what about it?"

Dr. Annabel:"Weeeellll it may or may not have...taken form"

Reznikov:"*Growls* What!?"

Just then the base started to shake violently and the two tried their best to not fall over. Once the shaking stopped Reznikov pulled out his radio.

Reznikov:"What was that?!"

_Soldier:"Something just broke out of the science wing and started slaughtering people left an right!"_

Reznikov:"That doesn't explain why the base started shaking so violently"

Soldier:"Some dumbass thought it would be a good idea to fire an RPG at it. Now an entire corridor has collapsed and the thing is still-"

All Reznikov heard then was the soldiers screams of agony. Reznikov quickly shut off his radio before turning to the doctor.

Reznikov:"*Sneers* When this mess is over you and I are gonna have a long TALK doctor"

Dr. Annabel gulped but nodded nonetheless.

Reznikov:"Good now follow me"

With that he lead the way down the corridor.

...

The soldiers were firing upon the THING that's been slaughtering their comrades nonstop with little effect. It continued getting closer and closer, butchering anyone that got within its reach.

Grunt 1:"Why won't it just die!"

Grunt 2:"How should I know?!"

Grunt 3:"Would you two shut-WATCH OUT!"

The warning came too late as IT already tore into them. Limbs went flying and organs were spilled onto the floor as IT ripped the two to pieces. The remaining survivors turned tail and ran while shooting behind them blindly.

One of the stray bullets hit an unfortunate soul and he went down with a shout. The man tried to get to his feet but couldn't and in a last ditch effort called out for help.

Sacrifice:"Please help me!"

His pleas went unanswered as the others just continued running, leaving him to his fate. He was about to call out again when a shadow loomed over him. Slowly the man turns his head and sees the monster looking right at him with unblinking eyes.

Sacrifice:"*Trembling* P-Please"

All IT did was reach down and grabbed him by the neck before lifting him up. Once he was face to face with IT the man began to cry.

Sacrifice:"*Croke* I just want to go home"

The last thing he saw was the place were the THINGS mouth should be tear open before bitting his head off.

...

Reznikov had lead Dr. Annabel to the command center. Once inside Reznikov wasted no time in barking out orders.

Reznikov:"I want visual feed on the science wing now!"

The technicians quick pulled up all available feeds of the area and were horrified by what they saw.

Bodies belonging to both scientists and security guards laid strewn about with their blood painting the walls. Some had their arms torn off while others were missing their heads. Many looked to have been ripped in half or straight up impaled to death. The worse ones looked to have been either crushed or choked by their own intestines and left hanging on the ceiling.

The sight alone caused many technicians to throw up while others began praying to whatever god would listen.

Reznikov:"What have we unleashed?"

Just then one of the technician spotted something on one of the feeds and paled.

Technician:"S-Sir!"

Reznikov:"What is it?"

Technician:"Y-You might w-want to see t-this"

Reznikov walked over to the man and looked at what he was seeing. The feed showed that on one of the corridor walls a single word is written in blood.

**YOU**

Reznikov was slightly unnerved by this but kept his composure. Just then another technician called out to him. He headed over found another word written in blood in another corridor.

**WILL**

Now Reznikov was even more unnerved and it wasn't over yet. Another technician called for him and he, reluctantly, went over. From his feed showed the final word that brought great foreboding with it.

**SUFFER**

Reznikov:"I want that thing found now! I don't care if you have to lure it out with a piece of meat, you will find it!"

The technicians wasted no time and got to work. It took a few minutes but they were able to find the THING.

Revnikov:"What's its heading?"

Technician:"It looks to be heading further into the science wing"

He pulled a map of the facility and put it next to the feed.

Reznikov:"Why would it-"

Dr. Annabel:"Its heading towards the body!"

Reznikov:"Explain doctor"

She went up to a terminal and pulled up feed of the dissection room. Inside was the cut open remains of Stevens corpse still laying on the same table sporting new incisions.

Dr. Annabel:"It must be trying to reunite with the body, it's the only explanation"

Reznikov:"Then we'll use said body to lay a trap. Send out a message to all remaining personnel in the wing to move the body to the incinerator-"

Dr. Annabel:"What?! You are not incinerating something so valuable!"

Reznikov:"Be quiet! We're in this mess because of you, so I suggest you keep your mouth shut"

The doctor reluctantly shut her mouth.

Reznikov:"Good. Now I want that body moved pronto! If my plan is to work we must move quickly"

...

IT continued the down the corridor it was in, searching for HIM. IT could feel HIM, he was close by and nothing would stop him. As IT made a turn into another corridor it suddenly sensed HIM move.

This confused IT greatly. HE shouldn't be able to move at all. Taking a moment IT extended its senses to find out where HE was going. It didn't take long for IT to fined out and so continued moving.

Nothing was gonna stop IT from reuniting with HIM.

...

Back in the command center Reznikov was watching as the body was finally placed into the incinerator.

Reznikov:"What's the creatures location?"

Technician:"It's two corridors away from the incinerator room sir!"

Reznikov:"*Nods* Alright tell the troops to get the hell out of there. I don't want good men dying for no reason"

Technician:"On it sir!"

Reznikov turned his head to another monitor that showed IT moving down a corridor.

Reznikov:"Lets see how you like be incinerated"

...

IT had stopped in front of a massive door that reached all the way to the ceiling. Then said doors split apart and began opening slowly with loud creaking noises. Once the doors fully opened IT walked into the room without a care.

Looking around IT soon spotted HIM. Laying on a metal slab was the corpse of Steven Universe looking terrible.

The torso still had the massive hole that was made when the entire front was removed. The arms and legs were in a similar state with the outer layer removed to expose the soft tissue beneath. The head of the body had its whole scalp removed, revealing the brain inside.

IT began walking towards the remains of the hybrid.

...

Technician:"Sir, it's inside the incinerator"

Reznikov:"Well then what are you waiting for, LIGHT IT UP!"

...

The incinerator came to life and flames began to rise around IT and the corpse.

IT remained unimpeded by the flames and simply walked through them. IT soon stood before the remains of its other half. Reaching down IT cupped the side of Stevens face and spoke.

?̷̢̩͍̳̮̬̪̟̟͐?̶͙͚̞̓̆͑͌̋̉̈̌̄?̸̘͉͚͛͒̒̆̍͘̕:̷̧̠͖̫̘́̔̐̊̋̅̑͌͆͂̏̇̚"̵͙̋̒͋̆͒̾̕͠W̴̠͈̰̑͂̋̂̐̽̈́̈́̇͐̃̾͊̐͝a̴̡̲͇͈̼̗̰̖̗̜͖͚̠͇͔̚k̷̢̜͚̟̲̝̳̚ȩ̴͔͔̲͈̼̇̈́̔̽́̈́͠ ̴̧̢̛̙̖̞̹̝̫̼͖̗̭͆̒̑̐̀̾̀͊͒̂̏͌͝ù̵͙͓̬̱̋̔͆̒̆̃̈́͝p̶̻̲̭͙͓̮̲̞͍̰̿͂́̓͋͐̌͗͘̚ͅ.̴̧̨̼̹̠̌̌́͘̚͝ͅ.̷̺̮̱̃̊ͅ.̷̰̖̭̯̃̋͂̓́̏̈́́̅̀͋̂̚̕͝S̵̢̧̢̛̼̜͍̯͓̠̪̒́̐̚͜ţ̸̛̮̱̌̇͑̉̀̚͝͝e̴̛̳͕̟̳̠̅̂̏̾̈́̔̿̾͠v̸̩́͊̅̈ë̷̛͇͇͕̞͕͖́͑̎̊̓͒͑̈́n̸̢̲̙͙͇̻̭̤̈́̈̓̎̑͑̇͋̈́̒̈́̕͠"̸̨̼͖͎̬̦̹̙̖͖̮͎̰̪̈̍̇̐̉̀̎̋̂͒̓̐̓̕

...

Over a dozen troops commanded by a sergeant stood ready outside the incinerator room. They had strict orders to retrieve whatever remains once the flames die down.

Trooper:"How long until the incinerator turns off?"

Sergeant:"Don't know but stand ready incase-"

A loud pounding sound rang out along the corridor. Everyone turned to the massive steel doors that lead into the incinerator and noticed a huge fist dent.

Sergeant:"What the?!"

Soon another dent appeared, then another, and another. The door was being riddled with dents and just as the troops began backing up the split bent open a little. Clawed fingers reach through the small gap and gripped one side. The right side door was slowly pushed aside allowing more clawed fingers to reach through and grip the other side. Both doors were then shoved opened with great force as they screeched in protest. The soldiers watch in fear as a monster slowly crawl out the incinerator.

The thing was huge, taking up almost the whole corridor and, due to its size, was forced to walk on all fours. Its body was completely covered in dark pink, pointy scale like armor that left no flesh exposed and had thorny vine all over it. Down its back the spine stuck out with spikes that ran along it. There was also a tail that swished around and ended in a spear like tip. The head of the beast was just as armored as the rest of the body with no hair. There was also a pair of horns that pointed forward and curved upwards on the sides of its head and jaw. It's teeth was exposed and looked like sharp fangs that could tear through flesh with ease.

The men stood trembling at sight of this beast gazing at them with slitted eyes. They watch as it opens its mouth and spoke in a voice full of malice.

Steven:"Your all going to die down here"

With that he charged forward with a roar and tore his through the men.

...

Reznikov watched on a terminal screen as Steven tore his men to pieces. Biting, clawing, and crushing them beneath his mass. The one they had captured and tortured for their experiments was showing no mercy to his captors.

Reznikov:"Tell all personnel to evacuate the facility immediately!"

The technicians nodded and began sending out orders to all remaining personnel.

Reznikov:"And make sure to call for reinforcements, we're gonna need all the help we can get to take this thing down"

With that Reznikov made his to the door, but before he could leave he was stopped by Dr. Annabel.

Dr. Annabel:"And where are you heading off too?"

He simply pulled out a gun and cocked the slide back.

Reznikov:"I'm going hunting"

...

Steven has been barreling through the halls nonstop. Many had tried to stop him but they all met a grizzly death by his hands.

He turned down another corridor and could tell he was almost at the shaft that lead to the hanger. As he continued moving forward he began to hear whimpering noises not to far away. Curiosity getting the better of him he went to check it out.

He soon spotted a door wide open and decided to peak inside. What he found inside was something that increased his fury ten times over.

Locked in cages all around the room were corrupted gems. The same gems he saw when he was being escorted by Reznikov through the facility. He almost forgot about them and was mentally kicking himself for it.

Without hesitation he broke down the wall and crawled into room. He went to every cage and freed the gems from their imprisonments. The gems showed their gratitude by rubbing against him as a way of saying thanks.

Once they were all freed he turned his attention to the shards that litter the ground. Steven couldn't just leave them there but he didn't have anyway of carrying them. Then a thought came to mind, it wasn't ideal but it was all he could think of.

Reaching about the room he began gathering up the shards into a pile. Once all the shards were gathered together he enacted his idea. Lowering his head down to the ground he used his now long tongue to pull them into his mouth. When he was sure that he had them all he swallowed.

Steven began regretting this as the shards went down his throat, cutting his insides along the way. He almost threw them back up but managed to hold out. Once he felt that the shards were safely stored away in himself he lead the corrupted gems out.

The soldiers were shitting themselves when they saw Steven coming their way followed by his small army.

Steven busted through the wall and into the shaft that lead up to the hanger. Using his claws he began to climb up the shaft with his army close behind. The soldiers tried shooting him off but their bullets proved ineffective against his armor.

When Steven reached the top he immediately bit the closes man clean in half. Steven didn't know why but the taste of human flesh wasn't that bad, in fact they were quite delicious. So it came as a surprise to the men when Steven began to LITERALLY EAT THEM.

At this point men were about ready to give up and run for their life's but Steven had one more trick to show.

Steven raised his torso up a little with his mouth open and began to inhale deeply. His chest started glowing with said glow spreading upward to his throat. The soldiers could see a light inside Stevens mouth and before they knew it a torrent of flame came out.

This had the troops lose control of their bowels at the site of this. They threw their guns away and booked it to the exit. Unfortunately they didn't make it far as they were either burned alive or butchered by one of the corrupted gems.

After the troops perished Steven turned his attention to the hanger doors. Said doors were closed and locked in place by metal restraints going across them. Not letting this stop him Steven charged forward like a bull and rammed straight into them head first. Instead of blowing the doors off like he original intended he instead went straight through it, leaving behind a massive hole.

Coming to a stop Steven took a moment to realize that he's no longer inside the hanger. No longer forced to crawl on all fours he rose to full height of 18 feet as his new companions joined him. Looking up he saw the open blue sky and couldn't help but let out a laugh.

Steven:"I'm free!"

He continued to laugh, unaware that he and the gems were being surrounded. When he did realize it he and the gems growled at men surrounding them.

Steven:"*Growls* You just don't know when to quit, do you?"

A literal army had their guns pointed right at him. Amongst them were jeeps with machine guns at the ready and literal tanks pointing their barrels at him. Looking up he saw a squadron of attack helicopters with chain-guns and missile-pods ready to fire. And there, standing at the head of this army was Reznikov himself.

Reznikov:"*Chuckles* I'm sorry but your just too dangerous to keep alive, so-"

He raised his hand and all the soldiers took aim. The corrupted gems that followed him all took defensive stance around Steven.

Reznikov:"Any last words?"

Steven did not speak a word, he instead glared at the man with all the hatred he could muster. He then raised a hand and flipped him the bird as smoke started coming out of his mouth.

Reznikov:"*Sighs* Kill him and his pets"

The army opened fire on Steven and his corrupted pals. The bullets bounced off Stevens armor and they did barely anything to the gems. Not gonna be easy targets Steven and the gems charged at the army and attacked.

Steven literally tore through dozens of soldiers and eating some of them. The corrupted gems followed his example and also began eating them as well. Like the men in the facility they were not prepared to see their comrades get devoured right before their eyes.

As the battle went on Steven was being pelted by machine-gun fire from the jeeps and attack helicopters. The rounds did little against his armor so one of the jeep drivers decided to ram right into his legs. He went down with a shout and crushed the jeep beneath him with the driver still inside. As Steven began rising back up he was met with a shell to the face courtesy of a nearby tank.

Soldier:"Ya! That should have done it!"

When the smoke cleared the soldiers saw that Steven was unharmed. They began backing up as Steven rose and glared.

Steven:"*Snarls* My turn!"

He took a deep breath before unleashing a torrent of flames at the men. They screamed in agony as they were being burned alive. Steven stopped his attack and turned his attention to his allies.

Said allies were holding their own but didn't look like they could hold out much longer. Steven tried to go and assist them but was hit by a volley of missiles from the attack helicopters. The attack had him stumble a bit which the army used to bombard with weapon fire from all sides. Steven was getting worn down by the attack but still stay standing. He was also getting REALLY fed up with this and let it be know to all.

Steven:"RRRRRRAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

His roar shattered the ground beneath him and at the same time sent out a pulse of pink energy. When the pulse hit the gems and it revitalized them as they roared with renewed vigor. Steven rejoined the battle by launching himself head on into the enemy lines.

He crushed men beneath his feet and tore them to pieces with his claws, he even managed to impale a few on his horns. When the choppers started bugging him again he grabbed a nearby jeep and threw it at them, knocking one out of the sky. The enemy was losing moral and Steven used this as his chance to beeline it straight for Reznikov. Just as he got within reach Reznikov pulled out a gun and fired. Steven roared in pain as he clutched his bleeding eye socket while glaring at the man with his remaining eye.

Reznikov:"You think that just because your all big and strong your invincible? HA! Your dead wrong"

He fire another shot that breached the armor of his left shoulder. Steven just growled and tried to attack him but he fired off two more shots. The rounds went straight through Steven's knee armor causing him to drop down to his knees. Steven kept his head leveled with Reznikovs, even as the man pressed the barrel to his forehead.

Steven:"*Growls* How?"

Reznikov:"*Chuckles* The nullifier wasn't the only thing we created from the remains of alien technology"

He cocked the gun back and gave Steven a cruel smile.

Reznikov:"Now. You. Die"

Just as he was about to pull the trigger a corrupted gem came out of nowhere and tackled him. The two tousled with each other before Reznikov managed to whack the beast off with his gun. He quickly got back to his feet and once more aimed at Seven, only to see something peculiar.

Stevens gem was glowing again and this time so was his eyes. The breaks in his armor sealed back up instantaneous and his armor seemed far more durable then before. His vines seem to pulsating with raw energy as the thorns bloomed into roses. As he slowly rises to his feet he also raises a hand to the sky and it glows.

Then the sky lit up and Reznikov was forced to shield his eyes. When the light finally died down he looked up and was horrified by what he saw.

Floating high in the sky were hundreds if not thousands of pink bubbles. Each had a different type of gem or pile of shards forced together inside. Reznikov returned his gaze to Steven and noticed him glaring right at him.

Steven:"Let the massacre begin"

He then clenched his fist and all the bubbles popped. The gems and mutants fell from the sky and began taking form. When they hit the ground the slaughter truly began.

The troops were already having trouble with Steven and his small army of corrupted gems but with this they were utterly decimated. The corrupted and mutated were utterly annihilating them, even with their tanks and attack helicopters they didn't stand a chance. Tanks were crushed beneath some of the larger ones and the choppers were taken out by the ones that could fly. What made it even worse was that some of them even fused together into bigger monstrosities that rained carnage upon the battle field.

As chaos ensued Reznikov made a break for a nearby jeep. Starting up the engine he speeds off with Steven watching. He didn't give chase, instead he pointed in the direction the jeep was heading and made a upward motion.

Reznikov was not expecting the earth in front of him to rise up as he crashed into it. He also didn't expect earth to change into some kind of golem and rip the roof off.

The golem reached in and grabbed the man, breaking a few ribs. It then proceeded to lumber over to its creator and offer the man as if he was a tribute. Steven took the man into his not so gentle grasp, breaking even more ribs.

Steven:"Your death will be slow and agonizing! Just like mine was"

He tossed him to the ground and pressed a foot on him before pushing down. Steven took immense satisfaction in hearing the man scream as his bones broke even more. He then reached down and grabbed the right arm in a vice like grip and pulled. Reznikov howled as he felt Steven slowly pull his arm off, making sure it hurt. When the arm tore off Steven made sure Reznikov watch as he ate it in one go. Then to make it worse Steven unleashed a torrent of fire upon the man at point blank range. Reznikovs screams became even loud as he was burned alive and just as he was about to succumb to it Steven put the fire out.

Stevens:"Can't have you dying too quickly"

Steven then called over a corrupted gem that looked like a centipede.

Steven:"This is Centi, she's going to be joining us for this... activity"

He motion the gem forward and she obeyed without hesitation. He then gently grabbed her head and moved it above Reznikov.

Steven:"Before we continue could you enlighten me on how you came to knowing of my existence?"

Reznikov:"*Choking* A-All I can s-say is_ keep b-beach city weird_"

Stevens eyes widen at this before narrowing them at the man.

Steven:"Drool for me girl"

Acid drool builded up in her mouth before pooling out and onto Reznikov. He screamed as the acid dissolved his flesh all the way to the bone. As the torture continued Steven didn't notice the figures flying in until they called out to him.

?:"StEvEn!"

When he heard the voice Steven whipped his head around instantly and gazed upon its owner. There Lapis was in her somewhat corrupted state flying in with Peridot in her grasp. The two then collided with Steven and hugged him with all they had. Steven returned the affection in kind, though he had to be careful as to not crush them thanks to his increase in size. Soon the hug ended and Steven began questioning them.

Steven:"How did you two fined me?"

Peridot:"That would be thanks to me. I made a device that tracked your unique energy signature"

Steven:"*Chuckles* Your such a brainiac"

Peridot blushes at that little remark and Steven couldn't help but smile. It quickly changed to a look of worry as he looked at Lapis.

Steven:"*Worried* What happened to you Lapis?"

Lapis was hesitant to respond.

Lapis:"It's NoThInG STeVeN"

He gave her a look that screamed bullshit.

Steven:"Please don't lie to me Lapis"

That struck a cord in Lapis as she knew that Steven hated it when someone lies to him. Taking a deep breath, even though she doesn't need to breath, she told him.

Lapis:"ThOsE cRyStAl GeMs InStIgAtEd Me InTo AtTaCkInG tHeM. DuRiNg ThE fIgHt I sTaRtEd ChAnGiNg AnD I DoN't KnOw WhY!"

She busted into tears and Steven noticed the gold splotches spread more. Acting quickly he started calming her down by whispering sweet nothings into her ear. It took some time but she began calming down and the splotches receded a bit. Steven noticed this but didn't say anything and continued comforting Lapis.

After a time Lapis fell asleep in his arm with Peridot watching from his other arm. He moved Peridot onto his shoulder before shifting Lapis around until she was curled up in his arm like a baby.

Steven:"You two are about the size of newborns compared to me"

Peridot:"*Grumbles* That's only because of how big you are"

Steven:"*Smirks* Thought you liked it when I'm big?"

That turned Peridot into a blushing mess that Steven couldn't help but chuckle at. Composing himself Steven turned his attention to the destroyed body of Reznikov. The guys body was missing an arm and a lot of the flesh was dissolved. If he isn't dead now then he will be soon.

Looking back at the battlefield Steven saw all the destruction he and the corrupted had caused. Body's of the dead lay strewn about with some corrupted gems eating them and all the vehicles were either crushed or torn to pieces. As for the corrupted and mutated they're mostly laying about doing nothing, some were playing with each other but the majority was doing squat.

Seeing no other reason to stay around Steven picked a direction and went. As he walked he noticed how the corrupted and mutated began following him. Not seeing any problem with it he lets them follow, as long as they don't cause him any trouble.

Steven did stop for a sec. when he noticed the container that held the heaven and earth beetles on the ground with them still trapped inside. Reaching down with his free hand he tore the lid off and laid his hand down for them to crawl onto. Once they crawled on they went up his arm and over Peridot, startling her, before resting on his head. And doing a quick search he spotted the pillow with a gem attached to it not to far away and retrieved it.

Now sure that no one was being left behind he continued his trek with the corrupted and mutated following close behind. As he left he didn't notice a certain prophecy cube beginning to glow.


	26. Chapter 26 Shifting Sands

Normal POV.

From far above the sun shined down upon Steven and company with an unforgiving light as they trek through the desert. Steven wasn't really affected by the desert heat and neither were his companions that followed him. He still couldn't understand why the corrupted and mutated gems still continue to follow him. When bringing this question up with Peridot she just shrugged.

Peridot:"I have no idea as to why they follow you. But if I had to take a guess as to why then I'd say it's because they see you as their alpha"

Steven:"Alpha?"

Peridot:"*Nods* Yes alpha. When I was looking up Earths species I stumbled across a few that were lead by an alpha. Upon looking up the term I learned that it basically means the dominant member of the group"

Steven:"So they follow me because they see me as superior to them?"

Peridot:"Most likely. It also doesn't hurt that they probably trust you since you freed them all"

Steven:"Not all of them were from the facility though, so it doesn't make sense as to why they still follow me?"

Peridot:"*Shrugs* I've got nothing for that. Maybe they follow you because of some other factor"

That had Steven looking down at his gem and began to wonder if that was the reason. He already knows that gems serve the diamonds and admire them. Could it be that because he was also a diamond that they unconsciously follow him.

Steven:"*Mumbles* Would explain how mom was able to get an army to rebel against the other diamonds so easily. But then begs the question as to why she started the rebellion in the first place. There has to be some reason-"

Peridot:"What are you talking about Steven?"

Her sudden voice broke him out of his mumblings.

Steven:"Huh? Oh it's nothing really important Peridot"

She looks at him for a moment before shrugging and walks ahead of him. He still doesn't understand why she didn't want to stay sitting on his shoulder but didn't really question it.

Steven:"*Thoughts* One things for certain, I can't trust anything the gems tell me anymore. Any one of them could be lying and for all I know everything they said about mom could be false"

Looking down at the blue angel that's nestled in his arm he couldn't help but smile. Even in a somewhat corrupt state he still loved her with all his being.

Steven:"*Whispers* At least this is not a lie"

It was at this moment that Lapis began to stir from her sleep. With a yawn she stretched her limbs and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She then realized that she was not on the ground but instead being carried. It took her a moment to remember who exactly was carrying her and immediately greeted him.

Lapis:"GoOd MoRnInG STeVeN"

Steven:"*Chuckles* It's the evening Lapis"

Lapis:"Oh..."

Silence ranged between the two as neither of them knew what else to say to each other. Just as the silence began to be unbearable a thought crossed Stevens mind.

Steven:"Hey Lapis, I've got a question if your willing to answer?"

Lapis:"SuRe, wHaT iS iT?"

Steven:"Back during my birthday party you said that two gems were capable of having gemlings, as you call them. My question is how that is even possible given the fact that both partners are literal gem stones. Their physical forms are nothing but hard light constructs made by their gems. By all accounts it should be impossible for them to 'reproduce' like that at all. So how is it possible?"

Lapis was honestly stunned by the question and also agreed with some of the points he made. Before she could even answer Peridot, who was apparently eavesdropping on them, did it for her.

Peridot:"That's actually pretty easy to answer. You see when two gems want to conceive they begin to combine their gems energy together. Then one of the two partners take the combined energy's into their psychical forms. The energy's then start to become denser and denser while merging together until becoming a single, or in some cases multiple, solid/physical objects. These objects are what we call geodes, in a sense you could refer to it as an egg of sorts that will incubate a gem inside it. Halfway through the incubation period the geode exits out of the gem that's carrying it, as to not add anymore strain onto them. The geode would continue to incubate until hatching and bring a new gem into the world"

When she finished her explanation she looked to the other two for their reactions. Lapis had a faint blush on her face while Steven just gave her a blank stare.

Steven:"And how do you know all of this?"

Peridot:"*Shrugs* I got bored during one of my breaks back on homeworld and stumbled across a file on the subject"

Steven:"*Sighs* Good enough for me"

He then turned his attention back to Lapis.

Steven:"By the way, why did you get so angry when Connie said that gemlings were unimportant.? You looked about ready to murder her before flying off to who knows where"

Lapis expression was unreadable as she refused to make eye contact.

Lapis:"ThAt'S a StOrY i'M nOt CoMfOrTaBlE wItH tAlKiNg AbOuT rIgHt NoW"

Steven wanted to press for more but stopped himself. It wouldn't help trying to force her to talk about something that clearly left an impression on her.

The rest of the journey was mostly silent except for when one of the corrupted decided to roughhouse with another. Steven did not wait for things to escalate into something dangerous as he put Lapis down and immediately separated the two by the scruff of their necks. The instigator tried to bite at Steven as it was held in the air, and was rewarded by being slammed into the ground HARD. The gem whined in pain as it slowly got to its feet and looked at one responsible for the pain.

Steven:"*Growls* Next time DON'T pick fights with the others!"

The gem bowed in submission as Steven returned to his lovers. Just as he got next to them did he suddenly keel over with a shout of pain. Lapis and Peridot start panicking as Steven started groaning in pain while clutching his stomach tightly.

Lapis:"StEvEn?!"

Peridot:"Steven what's wrong?!"

The two didn't know what to do as Steven soon entered a coughing fit. The coughing got worse and worse until it became a gurgling sound. Lapis and Peridot watch as Steven hurls up a gem, an Amethyst to be exact. For a moment the two stared at the gem that was just hurled up by Steven, trying to process the whole situation.

Peridot:"*Bewildered* What the-"

Before she could finish Steven began hurling up even more gems. Most common among the ever growing pile were Amethysts, Jaspers, and Ruby's. Though there was the occasional higher cut gem like an Emerald or Topaz, there was even an Onyx in the pile. After what felt like ages Steven stopped hurling up gems and was now lying on his side groaning.

Steven:"*Groaning* I regret so many things right now"

Lapis and Peridot took this moment to start questioning him.

Peridot:"Mind explaining why your throwing up gem stones!?"

Steven:"Ugh... I think their from the gem shards I ate back at the facility"

Lapis:"WhY dId YoU eAt GeM sHaRdS?!"

Steven:"*Grumbles* I don't exactly have any pockets to put them in"

Peridot:"Then why didn't you just bubble them!"

Steven:"... I didn't think of that at the time"

Peridot:"*Facepalms* Your lucky I don't just-"

She was cutoff yet again by the pile of gems beginning to glow brightly. The three, along with a few curious corrupted and mutated, watch as the gems took form into various beasts. Once fully formed they looked around in what could only be confusion before spotting Steven. Steven tensed up a little and readied himself for a fight, what he didn't expect was for them to bow in their own ways before joining their kin. This act only cemented Stevens earlier thoughts on why these corrupted and mutated gems were following him.

Steven:"*Sighs* Lets just get moving"

Moving forward he lead the way to what he could only guess was the way home.

...

After hours of traveling through the desert Steven and his horde found themselves in a chasm. Upon further inspection Steven could see many gem injectors lining the rocky walls along with a number of humanoid shaped exit holes. He was honestly confused as to where exactly they were and made his confusion known.

Steven:"I thought there was only one kindergarten?"

Lapis:"SeEmS yOuR cArEtAkErS kEpT eVeN mOrE fRoM yOu"

Steven let out a growl as he wondered just how much was kept from him. He then spotted Peridot who seemed to be deep in thought.

Steven:"Something on your mind?"

Peridot:"Just trying to figure out which kindergarten this is"

Steven:"Well any idea which one it is then?"

Peridot:"Hmm... Judging by the red sandstone and the number of exit holes we've seen so far I say we're in the beta kindergarten"

Steven:"Anything special about it?"

Peridot:"*Shrugs* Not really. The only thing worth noting is that Jasper was made here"

Steven stopped in his tracks. Slowly his expression changed from that of curiosity to outright murderous.

Steven:"*Growl* We are talking about the SAME Jasper correct?"

Peridot was a little put off by the sudden hostility but still calmly reply's.

Peridot:"Yes. We are talking about the same Jasper that arrived with me to Earth"

She watched as Steven clenches his fist, inadvertently digging his claws into his palms, while taking deep breaths to calm himself. After a few minutes of this he finally calmed down somewhat and moved forward without a word.

As they travel through the now apparent kindergarten they started to notice that the exit holes were less and less like their suppose to. Some looked taller then it's counterparts and others looked far shorter or straight up connected with one another. But soon they stumbled across holes far too big for any gem and resembled more like caves then anything else. Some of them even had metal bars blocking the entrance to the hole and making it look more like a cage of sorts.

Steven:"These holes appear to have been tampered with"

Peridot:"*Deadpanned* What gave you that idea"

A roar rang out across the chasm causing the others to look int the direction of the noise. Seeing that it came from further in the kindergarten Steven motioned for everyone to stay put while he goes ahead to investigate. The corrupted and mutated complied without protest but Lapis and Peridot sure did. After a few moments of promising that he'll be alright he went ahead to checkout the source.

Moments later he found himself in a large clearing of sorts. Those makeshift cages lined the sandstone walls with some corrupted and even mutated gems inside them. Then he spotted someone that made his blood boil.

Steven:"*Snarls* Jasper"

Said ultimate quartz was standing in front of one of these cages with her foot on a corrupted gems head that's sticking out between the bars.

Jasper:"Look at you, nothing but mindless animals"

While she was focused on the gem beneath her foot Steven went on all fours and quietly got closer.

Jasper:"What happened to the warriors I fought alongside during the war? What happened to the gems I could call comrades?"

Steven was slowly creeping up behind Jasper, making sure not to make too much noise.

Jasper:"I use to call you all my sisters of war, but now... your nothing but beasts"

He was right behind her. Slowly he opened his mouth wide, showing off rows of razor sharp teeth and preparing to bit her in half.

Jasper:"*Growls* Just like you!"

Without warning she spun around and hit Steven in the side of the head with her right leg. He stumbled to the side a bit, disoriented from the sudden blow to the head. This moment of vulnerability was all Jasper needed to start throwing punches and kicks. The force, the power behind her blows involuntarily shook him but didn't damage his armor, let alone scratch it. Jasper quickly leaped back as Steven tried to swipe at her with his claws. With some distance between them Steven took the chance to get back on his feet. Now towering over the ultimate quartz he bared his teeth and spoke.

Steven:"*Snarls* How did you know I was behind you?"

Jasper:"*Smirks* After a millennia of war you tend to develop a sixth sense for danger"

The two began circling each other, fingers/claws twitching.

Jasper:"And it seems that you've become an even bigger freak since I last saw you"

Steven almost charged at her blindly for that comment but restrained himself. He knew that she was just trying to rile him up and have him attack first. After all one couldn't have survived a war on brute strength alone.

Steven:"Well you've never managed to beat this 'freak' by yourself. If what I was told is true then during our first fight you had Peridot assist you in beating me. The second we fought you had to use Lapis as a hostage to save yourself from being torn apart by me. Face it Jasper, your WEAK!"

That pushed all of the right buttons as Jasper summons her crash helmet and spin dashes towards him with an enraged battlecry. Steven quickly sidesteps as the quartz barrels passed him and into the wall behind him. While Jasper was disoriented from crashing headfirst into the sandstone walls of the clearing Steven took the opportunity to go on the offensive and throw a left hook. Due to the fact that Steven was a LOT bigger than Jasper his fist, upon contact, covered most of her torso and embedded her deep in the stoney wall. Seconds later Steven grabs Jasper and roughly pulls her out of the wall and throws her across the clearing.

Jasper slams into the adjacent wall of the clearing and shakes her head before hastily dodging to the side as Steven tried to ram/impale her with his horns. She expected Steven to slam himself into the wall and give her an opening to attack, what she didn't expect was for him to start running up the wall instead. For a moment Jasper was bewildered by what she was seeing until noticing how Steven was moving across the vertical surface.

Steven was using his clawed fingers and toes to move up the wall. It also helped that his immense strength allowed him to traverse the vertical surface with great speed. Just as Steven reach the top of the chasm did he suddenly leap off it. He flew over Jasper for a moment before landing a dozen or so feet from her position. Not even a second on the ground and he was already charging with full intention of skewering the ultimate quartz.

Instead of dodging like before Jasper decides to reciprocate his charge with one of her own. With a mad grin she spin dashes towards Steven, intending to face him head on both figuratively and literally. Seconds later the two collide with a loud bang as the both of them were now pushing against each other, trying to overpower the other. This stalemate didn't last long thanks to the fact that Steven was far larger and, by extension, far stronger then the quartz. In mere moments Steven had overpowered her with a mighty push and sent her flying into the chasm wall.

The resulting impact cause the chasm to shake violently and crack in a few areas. This resulted in the makeshift cages surrounding the chasm to come undone, freeing its occupants. Jasper watched in horror as the corrupted and mutant gems that she spent so long tracking down and capturing began to escape.

Jasper:"*Horrified* NO MY ARMY!"

Jasper tried to give chase after them but quickly fell to the ground. The fight was finally taking its toll on her as she felt her strength begin to fade. Her introduction with the chasm wall didn't really help matters. Looking up she saw Steven slowly stalk towards her with claws twitching and teeth bared in a demonic grin.

Panic filled the ultimate quartz as she looked around frantically for a way out. She quickly spots a corrupted gem still trapped in its cage, biting the bars. Only problem is that the cage is on the other side of the chasm with only one obstacle in her way, Steven.

Not having any other option Jasper chooses rushes towards the corrupted gem as fast as she can. As she got closer Steven took a swipe at her with his claws and she narrowly avoids being turned to ribbons. After dodging the claws Jasper ran with all her might to claim the advantage but made one fatal mistake.

She forgot that Steven had a tail.

Said tail slammed right into Jaspers side and she went tumbling across the ground. She then came to a stop dozens of feet away and unable to move. Seeing that she won't be moving for awhile Steven walks over to the still caged corrupted gem and frees it. Said gem rubs against him as a sign of 'thank you' before running off to join the others.

Now with that out of the way Steven returns his gaze back to Jasper and approaches. It didn't take long for him to reach her and wanting to finish this here and now raises his right hand into the air, claws at the ready. Just as he was about to bring them down to end this Jasper hiccuped.

Confused Steven got down on one knee and got a better look at her. What he saw was that the so-called ultimate quartz was crying, hard. Steven was hesitant on what to do next, he didn't expect for Jasper to suddenly start crying.

Jasper:"*Crying* I-I have f-failed..."

Steven leaned against in a little closer to better hear her.

Jasper:"*Crying* All I-I wanted was t-to get my REVENGE o-on Rose Quartz!"

Her face shifted into a scowl.

Jasper:"*Angry* For what she did to my COLONY!"

She slams a fist onto the ground.

Jasper:"*Angry* For what she did to my PLANET!"

Her fist slammed even harder onto the causing cracks to form.

Jasper:"FOR WHAT SHE DID TO MY DIAMOND!"

The last bit confused Steven.

Steven:"Yellow Diamond?"

Jasper looked up at him baffled before crying even harder.

Jasper:"MY DIAMOND! HER DIAMOND! PINK DIAMOND!"

As the tears stream down her face she notices a shine. Looking with blurry eyes she noticed that it came from Stevens navel. At first she was gonna chalk it up to his armor reflecting the light until noticing the formation of said armor. Around where the bellybutton should be the armor separates around another piece that looks like a gem, more specifically _HER_ gem.

This revelation at first shocked Jasper, how did she not notice till now. She then realized that it blended in perfectly with the armor and was only noticeable if you looked hard enough. But as the shock wore off it was quickly replaced by white hot rage.

Jasper:"YOU!"

She throws a left hook with all her might at Steven, only for him to impale her with his claws. Jasper looked down at the sharp digits impaling her torso before locking eyes with their owner. Tears fell even harder as she stared into Stevens eyes who intern stared back with diamond shaped pupils.

Jasper:"M-My Diamond?"

_*Poof*_

Jaspers gem fell to the ground with a small thud. Steven stares at it for a moment before picking it up. As the gem payed in his hand he thought of how easy it would be to just crush it here and now. Slowly his fist closed around the gem as the temptation to end her became almost intoxicating.

Then a bubble appeared in Stevens hand with the gem suspended inside. He couldn't kill her, he would NEVER stoop to his enemies level. It was what separated him from them, besides the obvious difference.

?:"Steven!"

Snapping out of his thoughts he looked around for the one who said his name. He quickly spotted Peridot and Lapis running towards him with the horde not to far behind. Steven could also see that the ones Jasper had captured were amongst the horde, getting along with the others quite well.

Peridot:"*Worried* Steven are you alright?!"

Lapis:"*Worried* Ya, We FeLt ThE gRoUnD sHaKe ViOlEnTlY aLl ThE wAy FrOm-"

Lapis then sees the bubble in Stevens hand as well as the gem inside.

Lapis:"*Growls* JaSpEr!"

Her shout drew the attention of Peridot who then spotted the gem as well. Peridot yelped and quickly hid behind Lapis.

Peridot:"*Alarmed* Why do you have Jasper?!"

Steven:"I was fighting her. Literally just before you arrived I had managed to poof and bubble her"

Lapis:"WhY nOt JuSt ShAtTeR hEr HeRe AnD nOw!"

Steven:"Cause that would make me no better then her"

That shut Lapis up and she looked a bit apologetic.

Lapis:"I'm SoRrY"

A smile spread across Stevens face and he pulled her into a one arm hug.

Steven:"Apology accepted. Now I suggest we get a move on, it a long walk back to civilization"

Peridot:"Then why don't we use this kindergartens warp pad, would save us a lot of time"

Steven:"*Shakes head* No too risky, especially with the corrupted and mutated with us. The gems back home might be tracking warp pad usage like we did you. I don't wanna risk any confrontations with them right now so we'll just move on foot"

His logic made sense. The gems were able to track when and where a warp pad was used thanks to Peridots escape pod. If they used the warp pad the gems would know exactly where they are.

Peridot:"*Sighs* This is gonna be a long walk"

Steven:"Then I suggest we get moving"

With that he scooped Peridot up and place her on his right shoulder before handing her the bubble.

Steven:"Keep that safe for me would ya"

She nods and Steven then lifts Lapis into his arms and continues the journey home.


	27. Chapter 27 Homecoming

Normal POV.

After weeks of travel Steven and company now fined themselves in the wasteland that was once Stevens personal sanctuary.

Lifeless, hollow trees were all they saw as they moved deeper and deeper into the dead forest. The once vibrant crystals that were strewn about were now lifeless gray husks. Rivers that use to run through the forest were now dried up with no signs of the water ever being there.

The sight of all of this had Steven gaping.

Steven:"*Shocked* H-How?"

Peridot:"It was like this when we came here"

Steven turned his head to her with a confused look on his armored face.

Steven:"What do you mean?"

Peridot:"After you were taken we tried to figure out a way to fined you. I summarized that the only way we could was from a sample of your gems energy and the only place that could have it was here. When we came here it was already like this, dead with no signs of life anywhere"

They soon came upon the clearing that had the remains of the tree man. Stevens eyes widened at the sight of them and he could help but gasp while Peridot looked on in sadness.

Peridot:"Only one of them survived long enough for me to get the sample we needed, but we made sure to stay with him till he passed on"

Steven approached one of the corpses of the tree man and, upon a quick inspection, found it to be Birchclaw. Laying a free hand on his dead creation he silently weeps.

Peridot:"Steven..."

She reaches out a hand and lays it on his thigh with Lapis, who just woke up, doing the same but on his chest. Steven was grateful for their support and made a mental note to repay them at a later date. After a few more moments of mourning for the lost he asked his two lovers a question that's been plaguing him for a while.

Steven:"How long was it before you went and searched for me?"

Peridot:"Hmm I remember us waiting in the alleyway until the sounds of gunfire stopped. Though the shooting didn't stop until nightfall and we didn't dare leave until the sun was up. After that we got the sample and Lapis flew us for six days straight before we found you"

After hearing this Steven begins to chuckle which catches his lovers attention. They look at him in confusion, wondering why he's chuckling but then he begins to laugh.

Steven:"I can't believe it; I've been dead for a week straight!"

He continues to laugh as he begins to realize why his sanctuary is the way it is along with his creations.

Steven:"The moment I died the life I had created died with me?!"

His laughter was getting louder and started to sound more distort causing Peridot to back up a little and Lapis to squirm. The corrupted and mutated were no better as they began to shake and whimper a little. This got worse as a pink aura enveloped Steven and he began to tear up.

Steven:"Did anyone back home even care that I was gone?! Did they even wonder if I was possibly alive or dead?!"

The two gems realize that their Steven is having an emotional breakdown. Peridot tried to think of a way to calm him down but stopped when she saw his eyes. They were glow brightly and she noticed that his pupils had changed into that of diamonds. This shocked Peridot to her core and judging by Lapis's expression she notice to.

Steven:"Maybe I should pay them all a visit and show them how I-"

He was cut off by Lapis slapping him across the face. Silence rang out as Peridot covered her mouth in shock and the hoard tensed.

Slowly Steven reached a hand up to his face and rubbed the area that Lapis had slapped. It didn't hurt, there wasn't even a mark, but the action itself was a surprise to the hybrid. He looked down at the water gem in his arm with a completely stupefied look.

Steven:"What-"

Lapis:"STEVEN"

Said boy shut his mouth immediately. Her voice wasn't warped like before, which was a surprise to everyone, instead it was a sing-song like voice and the tone she used promised great pain if interrupted.

Lapis:"I am only gonna say this once and if I have to repeat myself your going to know what it feels like to have an entire ocean dropped on you, UNDERSTAND?"

Steven nodded his head rapidly, terrified of his water angel. Let it be known that Lapis Lazuli can be scary when she wants to be.

Lapis:"Good. Now it doesn't matter what everyone else thinks, if they don't care about you then you shouldn't care about them. You should only care for those that actually care about you as well like me and Peridot"

She then reach up with both hands and held Stevens head.

Lapis:"Even when everything seems to be going down hill for you remember to stay determined. But always remember-"

She leaned in closer to his face and before her lips touched him.

Lapis:"To love yourself"

And she sealed it with a kiss.

Her words rang out in Stevens head as he stared wide eyed at Lapis. What she had said tugged a cord within him and the floodgates opened. Now while during his breakdown he was already shedding tears but they were of his overwhelming sadness. These tears were of happiness; happiness that poured out of him as he returned the kiss with as much emotion as he could.

Off to the side Peridot watched this with a small smile. She couldn't help but agree with all that Lapis had said, hell she even shed a tear of her own.

Then she noticed something peculiar.

The tears that fall from Steven hit the ground and said ground begins to glow pink. When the glow dimmed away the once dead earth was now lively with grass growing on top of it, there was even a flower growing back. As more tears hit the ground does more of the surrounding area begin to revive, already a nearby tree was showing signs of life returning to it.

Peridot couldn't help but marvel at what she was seeing, even more so when the thorns on Stevens body bloomed into roses.

Peridot:"*Awestruck* Incredible!"

Her words seemed to snap Steven and Lapis out of their kiss. The two look at her in confusion before seeing what she sees. They see the forest slowly regaining its former beauty as it heals.

Steven:"How is this possible?"

Peridot:"It's because of you Steven, your tears are healing the forest!"

He gives her a blank look.

Steven:"What am I, some sort of Disney princess?"

Peridot:"What's a Disney princess?"

Steven:"*Sighs* Never-mind, you wouldn't understand the reference"

Steven then feels Lapis wiggling in his arm so lets down. As the water gem stood on her own two feet Steven noticed that her appearance hand changed a bit.

The gold splotches that covered her right arm had spread to the rest of her body. Each of her exposed limbs had the gold splotches on them, even her torso had a few of the splotches. Her hands and feet were now webbed like a see creature and her digits are pointed into claws. Sharp fins appeared on the bottom of her forearms that curved upwards toward the shoulders and a pair on her back that curved downward with the gem in between. Her teeth have become more pointed like Stevens own with the ears being more like the sharp fins on her forearms. Another change is one of her eyes, the left eye was still the same dark blue like before but her right one was now a gold color. Her hair was still the same but just a bit wilder and the left side of her face had a big gold splotch that covered the eye and forehead.

Steven couldn't help but marvel at his lovers new appearance. He didn't dislike it at all, in fact he loves the new look.

Steven:"*Amazed* Wow"

Lapis noticed him staring and looked herself over. She spots the changes done to her body and fidgets a little.

Lapis:"*Nervous* I-I look ugly, don't I?"

Steven:"No Lapis! You look beautiful"

A bit of light shined within Lapis's eyes as she smiled.

Steven:"Besides I didn't fall in love with you because of your looks"

He leaned in closer and gave his lover a warm smile.

Steven:"It's the person that stuck by me through thick and thin. Even when I no longer looked like the little boy that freed you from the mirror you still stayed with me, and THAT is why I fell in love with you Lapis Lazuli"

Lapis stood there shocked as she proceeded his reason for loving her. And just like with Steven the words tugged at the heart strings. She couldn't help but give a wide, toothy grin filled with happiness.

Before she knew it Steven scoops her up into his arms and whispers in her ear how much this new transformation appeals to him.

Steven:"Plus this new look you have fits you and I'm happy to say I find it very alluring if you like to know~"

Lapis blushes deeply at his words and lets out a little giggle. Any thought of Steven being repulsed by her new look vanished with his words.

Then she remembers something VERY important.

Lapis:"Mind explaining why you have the eyes of a Diamond right now?"

At that moment Steven wished he was anywhere else on the planet. Both Lapis and Peridot, who moved closer during their little moment, were giving him questioning looks as they waited for an answer.

Steven:"*Sighs* Before I explain I would like to clarify that I didn't find out about my true heritage until my gem was literally torn out of my stomach"

With Lapis and Peridot both looking horrified by that last bit he began his tale.

He told them about how during his dissection the lady in charge spotted his gem and had the flesh around it cut before pulling it out by hand. How, before everything went dark for him, he saw that his gem was a Pink Diamond instead of a Rose Quartz like he originally believed.

Upon finishing his watered down explanation he saw how Lapis and Peridot had vastly different expressions from each other. The little green gem was shaking like a leaf and looking a bit scared while also concerned for him. Lazuli on the other hand looks ready to go into a violent rage and butcher something mercilessly with her newfound claws.

Steven was a little worried that Lapis might have a violent outburst from the fact that he was dissected or that he's basically a Diamond, his moneys on the former. Peridot seemed to also see how bad Lapis's mood was and made the smart decision to get the fuck away. At this point Lazuli was twitching and was letting out an animalistic snarl with her teeth bared.

Needing something to take her mind off things and clam her down Steven racked his brain for a solution but was coming up with blanks. Just as he was about to resort to physically restraining her he saw his surroundings. His sanctuary was healing quite nicely thanks to his tears but it would still take time if left alone. Seeing a way to kill two birds with one stone he brought out his armor tipped vines from his back and plunged them into the ground. The vines pulsed with pink energy that surged into the earth itself and the results were practically instantaneous.

From where the vines were imbedded in the earth lines of pink energy spread out across the sanctuary. This energy caused the ground itself to revitalize with all forms of plant life on it returning to life. These weren't the only things that were effected as the dead crystals regained their glow but instead of it being their original color it was pink instead. Even the dried up streams had water return to them in a rushing torrent.

The sudden change in the environment was enough to distract Lapis as she gazes around in bewilderment. Acting fast Steven uses his chlorokinesis to sprout up a massive planet behind Lapis that starts releasing pollen. The pollen then starts to surround Lapis and, within moments, her eyes begin to droop. Unconsciousness soon followed for the corrupted Lazuli and before falling to the ground was caught by Steven.

Steven:"Hopefully when she wakes she's a lot calmer"

He then conjured up a massive rose with a cotton bed in the middle and sets her down in it. It was at that moment Peridot decided to come out from wherever she was hiding and stand next to him.

Peridot:"So... what now?"

Steven:"Now? Now we head to BeachCity. I have to pay a certain someone a visit"

Peridot:"And you think that going there as a 18 foot tall armored lizard is going to end well for you"

That gave Steven pause. What Peridot said was true, if he went there as he was now then panic would ensue. So this left him with only one option.

Closing his eyes he willed himself to change back to his original 8 foot tall self. He felt his body beginning to shrink and his armor shifting and changing. When it came to his tail it felt very strange as it shrunk/retracted into his body.

Once the process was complete Steven let out a sigh of relief, such a drastic change felt very strange to him. Heading over to a nearby stream he looked into the water to see his appearance.

His reflection showed that he looked quite like he did the day he first saw his transformation but with a few differences. One difference is that his armor looks even harder then before with the addition of little spikes on each piece. The other difference is that his horns remained but adapted to match his current size.

Steven:"Hm... that's new"

Not really bothered by this he makes his way to warp pad with Peridot in toe.

...

Once the warp stream died down Steven and Peridot found themselves inside the destroyed beach house.

Steven:"What the hell happened to my house?!"

Peridot:"*Nervous* This was my doing"

Steven:"Why?"

Peridot:"Those crystal clods wouldn't let me and Lapis leave to go find you, and in the heat of the moment I kinda... lashed out"

Steven:"Recking my house in the process"

Peridot just chuckles nervously while rubbing the back of her head. Steven lets out a exasperated sigh and headed for the door. Peridot went to follow but was stopped by Steven.

Steven:"Go back to the sanctuary"

Peridot:"What why?!"

Steven:"Cause if Lapis wakes up and sees that neither of us is there she will more than likely lose it. *Thoughts* And I don't want you to see what's gonna happen"

Peridot:"...Alright I'll go, but please promise you won't do something stupid"

Steven:"I... promise"

With that Peridot warps back to the sanctuary, leaving Steven alone.

Steven:"*Whispers* But some promises have to be broken"

He left the beach house and began heading for the city. It didn't take him long to reach his destination.

Beach Citywalk Fries.

Walking up to the counter he taps the ringer and waited. A minute later Mr. Fryman appears in front of him and stares in shock.

Mr. Fryman:"*Panicked* S-Steven?! What are you doing here?"

Steven:"I'm looking for Ronaldo"

Mr. Fryman:"If that's the case then you'll have to come back later cause I'm-"

He was cut off by Steven grabbing him by the collar and pulling him to his face.

Steven:"*Growls* Your going to tell me where that curly haired fuck is or else I'm gonna start breaking shit!"

To emphasize this he smashed his free hand through the counter.

Steven:"*Snarls* Your bones are next"

Fryman crack instantly.

Mr. Fryman:"Alright alright I'll tell where he is!"

Steven:"*Growls* Make it quick"

Mr. Fryman:"He's at the lighthouse! He told me that he was planning to do a livestream there for his blog"

Steven:"Thank you"

Steven then head butted the man, knocking him out. Dropping the body he turned and headed to the lighthouse.

Ten minutes later he found himself before the lighthouse. Opening the door he creeped inside as quietly as his bulk would allow him. He could see Ronaldo at a desk typing away on his laptop, not even realizing the danger he was in. As Steven slowly got closer and closer Ronald had finished typing and smiled at the screen before turning to a camera.

Ronaldo:"Hello people of the world my name is Ronaldo. If your not familiar with me then here's a brief rundown of what I do. I run a-"

As he talked Steven was getting closer to the Fryman. He creeped through the room and ducked behind some cabinets.

Ronaldo:"With that out of the way let's begin! A few weeks ago my hometown was attacked by some sort of military group. Now it's sad to say that some people lost their life's that day but their deaths were not in vein. They had managed to successfully capture the towns monster!"

Steven was not amused by this.

Ronaldo:"That's right folks, BeachCity's has its own monster. It use to be a little boy named Steven Universe but then it shed its disguise, revealing its true self!"

Steven watched Ronaldo quickly type something on his laptop before returning to the camera.

Ronaldo:"This image is what the creature looks like. If anything its a crime against nature to even exist-"

THAT pushed some buttons.

Ronaldo:"But wait, your wondering how did this military group find out about this creature. Well it's simple really, I told them!"

The metal of the cabinet bended from Stevens grip.

Ronaldo:"That's right people I informed them about this monsters existence! I told them all I knew about it before they warned me about the attack. Thanks to that I was able to get my family away so they wouldn't be hurt"

Steven was now standing right behind Ronaldo with a murderous look on his face.

Ronaldo:"Thanks to their efforts the monster was-Huh? *Looks at comments* What do you guys mean there's a monster behind me?"

Ronaldo rolls around and his eyes widen as Steven stares back with his teeth bared and eyes glowing. Ronaldo didn't even have time to scream before Steven had his hand wrapped around his face and throwing him across the room. Ronaldo hit the far wall with a loud thud and he screamed as he felt his shoulder break upon contact.

Steven:"So you think I'm a monster huh?"

Ronaldo tried to look up but only received a fist to the face. The spikes on the armor dug into his skin and even pierced it, drawing blood.

Steven:"*Growls* You think I'm a crime against nature!"

A kick to the stomach sent Ronaldo back into the wall.

Steven:"*Growls* And you think the deaths of the innocent were justified by my capture!"

Steven grabbed Ronaldo again and hurled him into the cabinets. Papers went everywhere as the cabinets were busted open by Ronaldo's body.

Steven:"*Snarls* Because of you I was tortured by them and then killed as they cut me open and took whatever they wanted from inside of me!"

Ronaldo was a bloody mess as Steven stood over him once more.

Ronaldo:"T-Then how *Cough* are y-you still *Cough, Cough* alive?!"

Steven:"*Dark tone* Cause even death escapes me"

He the punch Ronaldo over, and over, and over. Rage of what had happened to him blindly fueled his attack as he pummeled Ronaldo relentlessly. With a roar Steven brought both fists down on Ronaldo's head, smashing it into mush.

As Stevens rage fueled mind subsided and a sense of calm returns to him the realization of what he's done dons upon him. Looking down at the now headless corpse he feels a twinge of guilt not for Ronaldo himself, bastard got what was coming to him, but what his father and little brother will go through.

Turning his head Steven could see the camera was still on and broadcasting, if the blinking red light was anything to go by. Moving towards it with blood dripping from his hands he stands before the camera with a hollow look in his eyes and grasps it.

_*Crunch!*_

The crushed remains fall to the floor with a thump. Steven then turns his attention to the laptop and sees that the streams comment section is buzzing with activity. Thousands of comments ranging from death threats to shock and surprise. There were also some that were... questionable/disturbing to read. Just wanting the day to end Steven smashes the laptop and leaves the lighthouse.

Once outside Steven could see that it was already late in the afternoon. Not wanting to head back to the sanctuary yet he decides to pay someone a long overdue visit.

...

After a long walk Steven finds himself in a familiar neighborhood. Everything seems to be the exact same as it was that stormy night.

Walking up to one of the houses he gives the door a few knocks and waits.

?:"Hold on I'm coming!"

Moments later the door opens and there stood a woman that looks at Steven in shock.

?:"Steven!?"

Steven:"Hello... Vidalia"


	28. Chapter 28 New Gem Bitter End

Steven doesn't know what to feel at the moment.

On one hand he feels immense satisfaction in killing the curly haired fuck that cause him to be captured and killed. On the other hand though he feels sick thinking about all of those that he killed back at the facility during his rampage.

It's all made even worse when he remembers that he spared Jasper, Jasper of all gems, even after everything she did to him. Thinking that he shouldn't stoop to their level and yet he didn't even bat a eye back at the facility. This made him feel like a hypocrite and it just adds to the jumble of feelings he's having at the moment.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a hand laying on his shoulder. Looking to the hands owner he saw Vidalia giving him a concerned/comforting smile.

Vidalia:"You alright kiddo?"

Steven:"*Snorts* I don't think 'alright' can be used to describe me anymore"

Vidalia:"*Chuckles* I don't think it ever was"

That did get a chuckle out of him, though it didn't last long. Sighing, he takes look around Vidalia's living room.

Not much has changed since he was last here other than a new painting that caught his attention. It appeared to be a painting with two of him and a black line going down the middle separating them. One side showing him before his change, all normal half human Steven with a bubbly smile on his face. The other side showed him after that fateful mission that changed his life forever, the monster she found that stormy night.

Adverting his gaze to his hands he notes that ever since then he has become worse. Fighting instead of talking things out, quick to anger, and ruthless to his foes. All of these changes leave him question if he's still even the same person anymore.

Steven:"Vidalia, when you look at me do you still see Steven?"

Vidalia was honestly taken aback by this.

Vidalia:"W-What do you mean?"

Steven:"I mean do you still see the bright young boy that used to come over and play with Onion... or do you see something else"

This honestly had Vidalia become a bit worried. It would seem to her that Steven believes that he's no longer himself and instead someone else. She would need to choose her words carefully when answer for it could have a impact on what he thinks from this moment forward.

Vidalia:"What I see... is a boy growing up, becoming who he is based on what he experiences in life"

She could see the confusion on his face and she elaborates.

Vidalia:"From all the things you have experienced, be they good or bad, they have shaped you into who you are. You may not see yourself as who you once were but that's okay; no one stays the same. *Chuckles* Hell back in my day I was a no good punk that always got into trouble for either breaking things or trespassing"

She then looks up at a portrait of her and her family hanging on the wall.

Vidalia:"But look at me now. A wife with a loving husband, two kids, and a passion for art"

She looks back to Steven with smile.

Vidalia:"People change and theirs nothing wrong with that. You will always be you no matter what you may think"

As she let her words sink in she could see a smile spread across Stevens face. Mentally patting herself on the back she returned the smile with one of her own.

Steven:"Thank you Vidalia, I really needed that"

Vidalia:" Anytime Steven, I'm always here to help"

With that the two sat in a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company for the remainder of the night.

...

Mornings sun rose and casts its unforgiving rays of light upon those that refuse to wake up.

Steven was sadly one of them.

He groaned and tried to block the suns rays by rolling over, he immediately regretted that. Hitting the carpet floor with a resounding thud consciousness returns to him when he doesn't want it to.

Steven:"*Grumbles/Sarcasm* What a great start to the day"

Getting to his feet he stretched his limbs, hearing them crack and pop, with a yawn. Once done he makes his way to the kitchen and fines Vidalia beginning to cook breakfast.

Steven:"Morning"

Vidalia:"*Smiles* Morning kiddo!"

He takes a seat at the table with the chair groaning in protest. It isn't long before he sees Sourcream and Onion come in, the former stumbling in half asleep. As the three sat and waited Steven had a sense of deja vu, remembering this exact scenario happening a long time ago.

After what felt like ages Vidalia finished making breakfast and began serving. It was a simple dish of eggs and bacon but to Steven it was luxury. The food didn't even have time to cool before it started going down his gullet, humming in content.

Vidalia:"*Chuckles* Woah there Steven, the food isn't going to run away!"

Steven:"*Sheepish* Sorry I haven't eaten in weeks, so excuse me for my lack of table manners"

Vidalia became alarmed at this and felt her motherly senses kicking in. Starting back up the stove she began making more food for him.

During this Sourcreams mind decided to finally wake up all the way as his eyes lost their cloudiness. It took him a moment to realize that there was a big, pink, familiar person sitting at the table with him. Rubbing his eyes he gives the individual a once over before figuring out who it is.

Sourcream:"Steven is that you man?"

Steven:"In the flesh"

Sourcream:"Damn dude you've changed a lot since I've last saw you. Like since when did you have horns or spikes all over your body man?"

Steven:"Since yesterday. I don't know exactly why I have them, bet their just a byproduct of my body developing new defenses"

Sourcream:"But why would it need to? Your already built like a tank so what purpose do they serve?"

Steven:"*Shrugs* Don't know, but if I had to guess then their for when I might ram into someone; those spikes and horns are gonna do a lot of damage"

Sourcream:"*Winces* Ya I can imagine. By the way how are things with your girl?"

Steven:"My girl?"

Sourcream:"Ya that blue lady your always with"

Steven:"That would be Lapis"

Sourcream:"Still how are things going between you two?"

Steven:"Things are fine between us and she gets along with Peridot surprisingly well"

Sourcream:"Peridot?"

Steven:"*Nods* The two decided to share me between them. In my opinion I'm completely fine with loving both of them"

Sourcream:"Wow. You're dating two girls at the same time AND they're completely okay with it. You sir are one lucky guy."

Before Steven could question what he means Vidalia had grabbed his plate and returned it with three times the amount of food from before. He couldn't help but salivate at the site and was barely able to stop himself from devouring it all at once.

Vidalia:"Eat up. There's plenty of extras if your still hungry"

With a quick thank you he dove into his food with table manners thrown out the window.

As Steven was inhaling his food Sourcream excuses himself from the table and leaves. Upon finishing his food Steven let out a content sigh.

Steven:"Vidalia did I ever tell you how much I love your cooking"

Vidalia:"*Smiles* No but it's appreciated"

Getting to his feet Steven realized that Onion was still here. Looking to the little guy he found the kid staring back with unblinking eyes. Steven would be lying if he said he wasn't a little bit creeped out by Onion.

Shaking his head Steven leaves the kitchen and moves to the door. Just as he reached the door a hand rested on his back. Looking back he saw Vidalia giving him a small smile.

Vidalia:"Promise me you won't get into any trouble"

Steven:"*Snorts* With the way my life is... 'trouble' is a guarantee"

That got a small frown from her.

Steven:"*Sighs* I'll try my best but I make no promises"

Vidalia:"Guess that's the best I'm gonna get out of you"

With that Steven was out the door, leaving Vidalia's home.

Moving to the living room she took a seat on the couch and grabbed the TV remote. The first thing to appear on the screen was a news report.

_Reporter:"We are coming to you live from BeachCity lighthouse were a homicide has occurred. The victim was one Ronaldo Fryman who had his head bashed in. The Fryman was apparently doing a livestream when this happened and upon replaying said stream this was found"_

A video appeared on the TV screen and began playing. Vidalia watched as it showed him talking about the resent incident that occurred and how he caused it. Her angry spiked when he talked about how Steven was a monster and the attack was them trying to capture him. Now she was thoroughly pissed but that was quickly replaced with shock and horror when it showed none other then Steven creeping up behind him.

Then he attacked.

It all happened so fast that Vidalia hardly believed it was actually happening. But when the sound of Ronaldo's skull caving in rang out she knew it was real. The last thing the video showed was Steven closing his hand around the camera and crushing it.

_Reporter:"As you can see the culprit is still at large and the police department recommends everyone to report in any sightings of this __thing__. I'm Vicky Vail signing out"_

With that the screen cut to other news that was unimportant. Vidalia sat there unable to think clearly about what she had seen.

Vidalia:"*Worried* Oh Steven what have you gotten yourself into"

...

Walking down the street Steven thinks about what he's going to do. Should he go and confront the gems about what they did to Lapis? Probably not, he'd more than likely fly into a rage and accidentally shatter them.

Just then he spots something big and pink out the corner of his eye. Looking he spots Lion sleeping on the ground in front of the one place he does not want to be right now.

The Maheswaran residents.

He doesn't know what he's doing there or why but right now he just wants to leave. Walking up to Lion he gave the sleeping cat a nudge in the side. Lion did not wake, instead he rolled over and continued to sleep. Now irritated Steven grabs Lion by his mane and gave it a good tug.

Steven:"Wake up you damn ca-"

Suddenly the area that he was grabbing began to glow and his hand sank in. Caught off guard by this he was unable to stop himself from falling through Lions mane.

Cursing a few profanities Steven got to his feet and looked around the inside of Lions mane. Still the same old pink field of grass with a single tree that had a bunch of stuff his mom collected over the years. Then he caught sight of something he did not notice last time he was here.

There floated a bubbled gem.

Curious Steven walks over to the bubbled gem and grabs it. Examining the gem he notes that the outside of it is a blackish gray while the inside was a rainbow of colors. Lost in his examination of the gem he did not realize how much pressure he was putting on the bubble until it was too late.

With a loud "POP" the bubble bursts and the gem falls into his hand. It did not stay there for long as it began glow and floats into the air. In no time the gem takes the silhouette of a rather tall and broad being that's about as tall as Garnet. Once the light died down it revealed a grey gem with rainbow dreadlocks and wearing an apron with a underlined star tattoo on her left arm.

The gem looks around in both panic and confusion before seeing Steven. For a moment the two just stared in silence, neither of them moving an inch.

?:"Um hello?"

Steven opens his mouth to speak but quickly realizes he can't. It was also at that moment his lungs decided to tell him that they need oxygen. Backing up a bit he then turns and dives into the pink fields and out of Lions mane.

As Steven took in a few deep breaths he notices that the mangy furball was still sound asleep. Grumbling a few curses at the cat he sticks his head through Lions main. The first thing he sees is the gem searching the field and calling for him to comeback. It didn't take long for her to spot him and she immediately asked if there was a way out of here. Steven simply reached a hand out to her and waited for her to grasp it, which she hesitantly does.

Outside Steven retracts himself from Lions mane with the unknown gem grasping his hand. Once fully out the gem took a look at her surroundings before quirking a brow at Steven.

?:"You wouldn't happen to know how long I've been trapped in there would you?"

Steven:"*Shrugs* Depends. What was the last thing you remember?"

Steven expected her to flinch a bit at the sound of his voice just like everyone else. So it came as a surprise to him when she didn't and just answered his question.

?:"Last thing I remember is me having a... talk with Rose Quartz"

Steven:"And this Rose Quartz wouldn't happen to have been the leader of the Crystal Gems?"

?:"*Narrows her eyes* What if she was?"

Steven:"Because that would be my mother you talked to"

That got the gem to backpedal a little.

?:"Mother?! As in like how human offspring call the ones that gave birth to them mother!?"

Steven:"Yup"

The implications got her to backpedal even more.

?:"That's impossible, gems aren't capable of creating organic offspring!"

Steven:"And yet here I am"

To prove his point he made his gem glow slightly and cut his hand to let blood flow out. The sight of this had the gem gaping at him like a fish and it took her a minute to get out of her stupor.

?:"Your not lying, Rose really did figure out a way. Next time I see her I've got to ask her how she did it"

Steven:"I don't think you'll get the chance, ever"

?:"*Cautious* Why not?"

Steven:"Because in order for me to be born she had to give up her very being, hence the gem imbedded in my stomach"

The gem was silent for a few moments, most likely processing this, bit of information. After a minute the gems expression seemed to sour for just a second before becoming sad.

?:"Damn shame she's gone. At least her last act was to bring life into the world"

Features softening, she gives Steven a kind smile.

?:"Names Bismuth what's yours?"

Steven:"Steven Quartz Universe ma'am"

Bismuth:"Well Steven it's great to meet you and thanks for getting me out of that bubble"

Steven:"No problem. By the way, how exactly did you even end up in that bubble to begin with?"

Bismuth:"No clue. One minute I'm in my forge talking to Rose and the next thing I know I'm in that strange place you pulled me out of"

Steven:"That was Lions mane. It works as a sort of pocket dimension that I guess my mother made"

Bismuth looked at the big cat that was somehow still asleep. Giving the mane a pat she found that she couldn't enter back in.

Bismuth:"You never did answer my first question"

Steven:"*Sigh* Well I'm sorry to say but you've most likely been in there for over five thousand years since that's how long it's been since the war"

Bismuth looked at him wide eyed

Bismuth:"Five thousand years?! What happened to the other Crystal Gems?! Is Crasylace and Biggs okay, what about Snowflake?!"

Steven:"Sorry but I don't know those three. I only known my caretakers Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl"

Steven saw that Bismuth was starting to tear up and becoming frantic.

Bismuth:"No no no no NO NO! That can't true; there were hundreds, thousands of us in the rebellion and your telling me that only THREE CRYSTAL GEMS SURVIVED!?"

Steven:"Technically true if the three your referring to are my mom, Garnet, and Pearl. Amethyst didn't pop out of the ground until a few thousand years after the war"

Now Bismuth was shaking and grinding her teeth. Then she let a roar filled with pain and rage. Funnily enough that seemed to finally wake Lion up as he shot his head back and forth searching for what woke him.

When his eyes caught sight of a pissed Bismuth and Steven, who was trying to calm her down. Lion tried to sneak away but accidentally caught eyes with Steven and he could feel the unspoken order to stay put directed at him. Not wanting to be made into a rug Lion obeyed his masters command.

Meanwhile Steven was having a bit of trouble trying to calm the enraged Bismuth. Said Bismuth was stomping back and forth clenching her hands into fist. Now Steven knew that if he doesn't calm her down she's going to break something. To make matters even worse Bismuths fists literally turned into hammers as she started to beat at the ground.

Acting quickly Steven rushed her with a half baked plan cooked up in his head. Grabbing her by the apron Steven chucks Bismuth into the distance. Watching her sore through the sky Steven estimates that she'll probably land somewhere near the temple, probably.

Steven:"*Mutters* Maybe the impact will calm her ass down a little"

Turning he was about to hop on Lion and ride/warp to the beach when he heard a familiar voice.

?:"Who's out there making all that racket!"

The door to the Maheswaran residence swung wide open and out stepped Priyanka. Said women's gaze wondered around her front yard until it landed on the hybrid. Steven stood there like a dear caught in headlights as Priyanka stared at him. After a few moments Steven managed to give her a small wave with a sheepish look.

Steven:"Uhh... hi doc, long time no see"

Mrs. Maheswaran just looked at him with wide eyes. Not wanting to stay any longer Steven hops on Lions back and they warp away.

...

Exiting the warp portal Steven found himself just outside the temple. And a few feet away was a crater with Bismuth inside it. If he had to guess she's probably just fuming now since she hasn't left the crater yet.

Hopping off Lions back Steven approaches the crater cautiously. Peering in he sees Bismuth laying there spread out and with a annoyed look. Steven was thankful that the impact actually calmed her down a bit so she wouldn't start breaking things.

Steven:"You done throwing a fit?"

Bismuth just glares at him.

Steven:"I'll take that as a maybe"

Grumbling, Bismuth pulls herself out of the crater and stands before Steven. For a moment both are silent before Bismuth cracks a smile and lightly punches his shoulder.

Bismuth:"Gotta say you've got one hell of a throwing arm"

Steven:"*Shrugs* It's not much of a big deal"

Bismuth:"*Laughs* Kid I've seen Garnet chuck quartz soldiers into orbit and so when I say you can throw; you can throw"

Steven just waves her off. It was then that the beach houses front door slammed open and out rush three gems Steven did not want to see right now.

Pearl:"What's going on out here?!"

Steven inwardly curses like a sailor as he tries his best to control his urge to maim.

Amethyst:"Wait who's the gem and is that... STEVEN?!"

Her cohorts snapped their attention to the to the aforementioned hybrid. Steven feel their eyes wander across his body and he can see their reaction to the new look clearly.

Pearl looked at him in complete disgust at his changes and there was a small hint of fear. Amethyst actually looked at him in amazement, probably thinking he looks cool, but there was still a bit of fear in her gaze. As for Garnet... hard to tell really, she has a small frown but other than that it's impossible due to the visor.

Garnet and Pearls expressions did a complete one eighty when they saw Bismuth and before Steven realized it they were upon her. The three hugged and laughed as they reunited after so long and Steven couldn't help but crack a small smile at the site. It was then that Amethyst walked over to him and giving him a little wave.

Amethyst:"*Nervous* Hey Steven... it's been awhile"

Steven:"*Growls* Don't think I don't know what you and the others did to Lapis and Peridot when they tried looking for me"

Amethyst shrunk back at this and had a guilty look on her face.

Amethyst:"I didn't want to hurt them but I couldn't go against Garnet and Pearl either. Pearl has lost her damn mind and it's impossible to tell what Garnet is thinking!?"

Steven watches as she sheds a silent tear.

Amethyst:"I'm scared that if I disagree with either of them then I'll end as shards!"

Now she was full blown crying. Steven felt sorry for her and surprised himself when he scooped her up and into a hug. He felt her hesitate in his arms for a moment before returning the hug and crying on his shoulder. As Steven held her he noticed that the others have gone silent and when looking their way he saw them staring.

He sent a glare their way but it mostly focused on Garnet and Pearl. The two flinched and Pearl returned the glare with her one of her own. Undeterred by this Steven increases the intensity of his glare and felt satisfaction when Pearl backed down. With that done Steven walks away goes into the house with Lion following.

Steven sighed at the sight of the place being a total wreck. He could tell that Pearl tried her best to clean the place but it was obvious that it needed repairs she couldn't do. Sitting on what's left of the couch Steven held Amethyst as she cried herself to sleep. Steven couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu for a second time today.

Suddenly the sound of the front door opening drew his attention. Turning he sees Bismuth walk in and whistle at the site of the place.

Bismuth:"Damn it looks like a group of quartz had a party up in here"

Steven:"*Snorts* Would you believe me if I told you that it was a Peridot that did this"

Bismuth:"*Surprised* Well I'll be. If that's the case then that Peridot must be one feisty gem"

Steven:"*Laughs* Oh she's feisty alright"

That got a laugh out of her. She then looked at the portrait of Rose that hung above the door. Steven saw that sour look return to her face and he began to wonder if something happened between them.

Bismuth:"Hey Steven, do you have your mother's sword?

Steven:"Why?

Bismuth:"Just wondering if it's still in one piece after all this time"

Setting Amethysts sleeping form down on the wrecked couch Steven heads over to Lion. As if reading his mind Lion bows before Steven as a sword handle sticks out of his forehead. Grabbing the handle Steven withdrew his mother's sword from Lion without the scabbard on. Look at the blade for a moment he turns to Bismuth and offers it to her. She took the blade and looked it over with a fond smile.

Bismuth:"My finest piece of work"

Steven:"*Surprised* You made this?"

Bismuth:"*Nods* Indeed. I designed this sword for a fair fight. It can cut through a gems physical form in a instant. Destroying the body, but never the gem"

Steven:"*Whistles* Impressive"

Bismuth:"Ya it's impressive alright. Took me months to forge this beauty from the rarest materials"

She then frowned.

Bismuth:"If only Homeworld fought fair"

Steven:"Hmm?"

Bismuth:"*Sighs* Not once did Homeworld fight fair. If their troops were losing the battle on the ground then they would bombard the area from orbit with their ships, even when their troops were still fighting. Lost a lot of good friends because of them"

Steven was honestly not surprised by this. From what he remembers they corrupted their own troops during the final battle as last ditch effort to kill his mom. So to hear that they bombarded their own troops just to kill the enemy wasn't all that surprising to him.

Bismuth:"So we needed a different strategy, an edge to turn the tide in our favor"

Steven:"An that edge would be?"

Bismuth:"*Grins* How about I show you"

All Steven could do was look at her with a raised brow before she dragged him to the warp pad.

...

One warp trip later and Steven found himself being lead by Bismuth along the side of a volcano. They then stop by a massive grey cube that was sticking out the side of the rock wall. Bismuths gem glowed and the cube shifts and opens into a tunnel that looked to go deeper into the volcano. Venturing forth they soon end up in a room and Steven stopped to admire the place.

There was a massive sword hanging above the room by chains and there was a anvil in the center of the room. Containers lined the walls with what Steven could only guess were materials inside used for forging. A stash of weapons lay in the far left corner of the room with the opposite corner having a chest.

Bismuth walked over to a empty pedestal at the far end of the room and slammed a hammer fist down on it. The pedestal sank into the floor and lava started to flow into the room, giving it a bit more light. Then a waterfall of lava came down on Bismuth and for second Steven was worried. His concerns were not needed as Bismuth stepped out of the lava with a satisfied moan.

Bismuth:*Moans* Nothing like a good lava bath to work the kinks out"

Walking over to the anvil she indicated for Steven to come over, which he did"

Bismuth:"You ready to see that edge I was talking about?"

Steven nods and she grins. Bismuth shifted her hand into a tool that she puts into a slot on the floor. Seconds later the two are descending down and Bismuth speaks.

Bismuth:"I was working on a weapon that would have been a game changer. Homeworld knows how to hit us were it counts but we can do everything they can do and better"

They are now in a hexagon shaped room with surrounding platforms and lava in between. As Steven looked around the room in curiosity Bismuth was searching for something, then she found it.

Bismuth:"Here it is. The weapon that would have won the war"

She turned around and showed Steven the weapon. It was a black rectangular shaped device strapped to her forearm and it had a purple marking that matches her tattoo. There was a huge spike at one end of the device while the other end had a rod of metal that connected to a circle base.

Steven:"*Curious* What is it?"

Bismuth:"I call it a BreakingPoint!"

Steven:"And what does this BreakingPoint do exactly?"

Bismuth:"Allow me to demonstrate"

She steps on a pressure plate and lava descends down the wall and into some statue molds. After a minute the molds open and the statues come out. Bismuth steps up to one and points her weapon at the statues fake gem as the back end of the weapon extends.

Bismuth:"Listen up you Homeworld upper crust. WE! ARE! THE! CRYSTAL! GEMS!"

The back end comes down fast and the spike jets forth through the statue, leaving a gaping hole where the gem use to be. Seconds later the statue crumbles apart and some of its pieces fall into the lava. Steven watches all of this stunned as Bismuth blows on the weapons smoking spike.

Bismuth:"So what do you think?"

Steven:"*Stunned* You shattered it"

Bismuth:"That's right! One shot from this baby will shatter any gem in the galaxy in the blink of an eye"

Steven looks down at his own gem and covers it with a uneasy feeling.

Steven:"Shattering a gem will destroy them forever"

Bismuth:"Exactly. The Homeworld gems won't be able to retake this planet when their reduced to shards!"

She grabs his right arm and attaches the weapon to him.

Bismuth:"There, now you really mean bismuth"

Steven looks at the weapon attached to him with uncertainty as Bismuth walks over to another statue.

Bismuth:"Why don't you give it a test run, this one gots your name on it"

Steven hesitantly approaches the statue, being careful not to slip his foot into the lava, and aims the spike at its fake gem.

Bismuth:"Let me get out of your way"

She hops over to another platform and watches him in anticipation. Steven thinks about whether or not he should really go through with this, but then he remembers his escape from that damn facility.

There's already blood on his hands.

With a click the spike shoots through the statue and it crumbles apart at his feet. Steven takes a few breaths to calm his nerves as Bismuth comes over.

Bismuth:"*Laughs* Nice shot! How did it feel wielding the BreakingPoint?"

Steven:"Nerve wracking"

Bismuth:"Ah don't worry, I'm sure you'll get use to it"

Steven:"I'm not sure if I want to"

Bismuth:"What do you mean?"

Steven:"Bismuth I've already taken life's and looking back on it... I didn't like it. Ending ones life is permanent and can never be undone. If we were to use this weapon we would be just like Homeworld"

Bismuth:"But we'd be using it for the sake of our cause, to protect our friends and loved ones. Homeworld won't show us any mercy so we shouldn't show them any either!"

Steven:"And if Homeworld manages to get their hands on this?"

Bismuth:"*Growls* They won't"

Steven:"You can't guarantee that. *Sigh* Bismuth, some weapons just should not be made"

He took the BreakingPoint off and drops it to the floor. Looking to Bismuth he sees her glaring at him with her teeth bared.

Bismuth:"Your just like her"

Steven:"Hmm?"

Bismuth:"Your just like Rose. Telling me that the BreakingPoint shouldn't even exist, just like last time"

Her eyes then widen before narrowing at him.

Bismuth:"Just like how YOU poofed me all those years ago Rose"

Steven:"*Growls* I'm not my mom. I even showed you that when I bleed before your eyes"

Bismuth:"You can't trick me anymore Rose! That meat puppet your using fooled me once but it won't fool me AGAIN!"

Bismuth charges Steven throws a punch at him, which he barely blocks in time. She continues to punch him before realizing that it's not having any affect on him. Switching tactics she morphs her right hand into a blade and her left into a hammer. This time Steven had to start evading her attacks instead of blocking them. This song and dance continued until Steven made a mistake and was hit by the hammer. He stumbled back a bit from the blow before his foot slipped off the edge of the platform and into the lava.

His scream shook the entire volcano.

Stevens wail of agony had released a burst of energy from him that tore the room apart and knocked Bismuth back. Bismuth took a moment to regain her balance from the sudden shockwave. Looking back at her opponent she could see him yank his leg out of the lava, or what's left of it.

The entire foot was gone and barely half of the foreleg remained. An expression of agony was plastered on Stevens face as he held his stump. Bismuth herself couldn't help but feel a little sick at the sight but reminds herself that it's just a meat puppet.

Slowly approaching Steven she raised her blade hand in the air as he looked at her in terror. Just as she was about to bring the blade down when Stevens looked at her with empty sockets. Surprised by this she was unprepared for the _thing_ that materialized above him.

A pink ethereal body with a humanoid shape, a pair of pink ethereal wings to match, and a featureless face was what greeted Bismuth. The forge gem was put off by this and it was made worse when it opened its eyes. The eyes were just like Stevens, the white of the eyes are black and the pupils were pink. But what really floored Bismuth were the _things_ irises.

They were diamond shaped.

Bismuth:"Impossible?!"

Then she saw the thing gave her a sharp tooth grin before everything went dark.

...

Steven groaned as he awoke from unconsciousness. He surveyed his surroundings and found the test area of Bismuths forge was a wreck with the walls and platforms looking to be falling apart. Speaking of Bismuth, Steven finds her gem on the ground in front of him with no explanation as to why it's there. Shrugging he simple reaches out to the gem and bubbles it before sending it to the sanctuary.

Finally remembering a bit of what happened before blacking out Steven looks down at his supposed stump. Only to find that the leg had grown back and that he had changed yet again. His armor now looked more like a carapace then its gem like material. The little spikes and thorny vines were still there but his skin looked to be more leathery now.

Leaving the questioning of his changes for later Steven gets up and walks over to the BreakingPoint. Picking it up he wonders if he should destroy it or not. The room then shook violently and that was Stevens cue to leave. Storing the weapon away in his gem he climbs his way out of the room and exits the forge.

Now to head back to the Sanctuary and hope Lapis isn't too mad at him.


	29. Chapter 29 Passion

As the warp stream dies down Steven is revealed to be back at his sanctuary.

Stepping off the warp pad he walks through the now thriving forest. He takes his time walking through the forest that he brought back to life, admiring its beauty as he walks by. The crystals that jut out of the ground are glowing brightly amongst the trees, giving the place a sort of fantasy aesthetic.

Returning his attention to the path before him Steven picks up his pace. He wanted to quickly drop off Bismuth's gem and go see his lover's. After a few minutes he arrives at the spot that Jaspers gem was left at and deposits Bismuth's right next to it. The two bubbled gems hovered atop a rather large Venus flytrap that had some of its vines around Jaspers bubble and soon Bismuth's had some as well.

With that done he begins to look around for Lapis and Peridot, hoping to spot them. Not seeing them he begins to venture deeper into the sanctuary to find them. As he gets deeper and deeper into the sanctuary he passes by some corrupted gems and gem mutants. He greets them as he passes by and they return it with growls or moans. Eventually he finds himself at a lake and happens to find that his lovers are here as well.

"Lapis! Peridot!" Steven shouts as he calls out to them. The two gems look in his direction and spot him. They quickly come over to him but stop when they get a good look at him. Lapis looks him up and down, curious about his new appearance. Peridot just looked frustrated.

"You promised me that you wouldn't do anything stupid." Peridot started as a tick mark appeared next to her gem. "Looking at you now shows me that you've clearly done SOMETHING stupid to cause ANOTHER change!" She shouted as she started to get angry with her lover. All Steven could do was look sheepish from the accusation while rubbing the back of his head.

"What can I say, I'm a magnet for trouble." Was Stevens weak defense. It didn't help since Peridot continued to glare at him.

"That's no excuse!" Multiple tick marks were now on Peridot's head. She was about ready to chew him out if Lapis hadn't interjected.

"Now before this gets out of hand I would first like to know what happened to you Steven." The concern was clear in her voice and Steven couldn't bring himself to lie to her, so he told.

He retold the tale that resulted in him finding Bismuths gem inside Lions mane. His meeting with the other gems, much to his displeasure, and his talk with Amethyst. Then he told them about Bismuth bringing him to her forge and showing him her secret weapon and the ensuing fight that happened when he refused her plan. He admitted that he blacked out after having his foot get caught in lava from the sheer pain. Only to wake up and find her gem on the ground in front of him, much to his confusion. He skipped over the events that involved him killing Ronaldo cause it wasn't really important for them to know.

"And that's what happened." He had finished retelling what had happened to him in the last day and is now looking at his lover's for their reaction.

Peridot's once angry expression was quickly replaced with one of extreme worry as she all but forgotten about why she was angry with him in the first place. She even began to fuss over him like a mother hen, which made Steven question if she's bipolar or something.

Lapis on the other hand had a dangerous look. Shadows cast over her face, eyes narrowed into slits, an aura that screamed death. All in all... she looked ready to down right kill somebody.

Steven quickly sent a mental command to the Venus flytrap holding both Jasper and Bismuth's gems to take them underground fast!

Giving his girls a loving smile, despite Lapis's murderous intent making it strain a little, he reassured them that everything was fine. "There's no need for the worry girls. I've proven to be rather difficult to kill, even then I don't exactly stay dead indefinitely, so please calm yourselfs." He watched their expressions carefully, hoping that his plea worked.

It did.

Peridot stopped fussing over him and started denying that she had to begin with. As for Lapis. Her killer intent did die out, but was replaced with her fuming and being a little distraught instead.

"You shouldn't even be in these near-death situations to begin with!" Lapis argued. Tears collected at the corner of her eyes but they did not fall. "I don't want to lose you! I don't want to lose you... like them..." She whispers that last bit as the tears in her eyes finally fell and she dropped to her knees and cried.

Steven was curious on who _'_them' is but at the moment he couldn't stand seeing someone he loves deeply cry on ground. Pushing his curiosity to the side he drops to the ground and embraces Lapis in a comforting hug. As they hugged he started rubbing her back in the hopes that it'll help calm her down. During this he had accidentally brushed his hand over Lapis's gem, earning a small moan from her. The two blushed brightly at this and awkwardly let go of each other.

"S-Sorry about that." Steven was nervous that his accident might have made Lapis angry at him.

"I-It's okay, you didn't mean to." Lapis would be lying if she said she didn't like his hand brushing over her gem.

A small chuckle escaped the boy. "I didn't even know that touching someone's gem would cause that kind of a reaction." Steven admitted as he turned his gaze to his own gem. "Whenever I polish my gem I never had that happen to me." He poked his gem to see if he'll have the same response as Lapis, but got nothing.

"It only happens when someone else touches it, not yourself" Said Lapis as she watches Steven repeatedly poke his gem. He stops when he sees her watching and becomes a little embarrassed. "Looks like that's another thing your caretakers didn't tell you."

Steven just sighs in exasperation. "At this point I wouldn't be surprised if they were keeping something that my mother left for me from me" His trust for his so-called 'caretakers' has become practically nonexistent. They keep a lot of things he should really know from him and refuse to tell him, even when he should really know these things. Then there's the fact that one of them wants to outright kill him in what he guesses, is a attempt to bring his mother back. A weak chuckle escapes Steven as he realizes that his so called 'family' was no longer even that.

His gaze then shifts to Peridot, who was now sitting next to Lapis and talking to her. He realizes that these two are his family now. A small smile spreads across his face at this realization and he honestly couldn't be happier at the prospect. Even in his corrupted state they've stuck by him no matter what and have shown their love for him on numerous occasions. There may have been some up and down moments for them, but even then they stayed with him.

His gaze then shifts down to his hands. Sometimes he wonders what it would be like if he was never corrupted. Would Lapis and Peridot still love him as he was before? Would he still be friends with Connie? Would he still be close to the crystal gems? Would he have never been attacked and tortured/experimented on?

Would he have ever killed?

These questions have been bothering him for quite some time now. All the 'what ifs' have made him feel resentful towards himself and what he's become. Before he was a kindhearted boy that wanted to help everyone he met. Now though he's quick to violence, doesn't talk things out when conflict arises, and has killed many people. It makes him wonder if he's become more of a monster then anything else. Even the talk Vidalia gave him not so long ago can't help him feel any different about himself. She may have helped him come to terms with what he's done but it doesn't fix how he feels about it.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. Looking to its owner he sees Lapis looking at him in concern with Peridot doing the same. "Are you alright Steven?" As much as he wants to tell them about his problems... he couldn't. He didn't want to put his burdens on their shoulders when it's his alone to bare.

"I'm fine. Just thinking about... stuff." It hurts to lie to them.

Lapis could tell that he was lying but didn't want to pressure him into telling them. "Okay... but please tell us if there's something bothering you."

Steven, wanting to change the subject, remembers something she said earlier. "By the way, who was it that you were talking about?" He can see Lapis tense up at the question and look away while rubbing her left arm. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want-" He was cut off when she raised a hand in front of him.

"No, it's okay. It's about time I tell you anyway." She took a deep breath before looking him in the eyes. "Do you remember back during your birthday when we were talking about gemlings and I told you that Yellow Diamond outlawed the making of them when she saw it as a waste of time?"

He nods. "I remember. I also remember you being very upset by what Connie had said about them." A look of confusion spreads across his face. "But what does any of that have to do with my question?"

"Because it correlates with what you're asking." Lapis was becoming increasingly nervous and she tried her best to hide it.

Steven rubbed his chin in deep thought. "If that's the case... then are the ones you were talking about perhaps your gemlings?" Her response to that was a deep blush appearing on her face. Steven watched in amusement as Lapis began flailing her arms around and adamantly denying that THAT was what she was referring to. He wasn't the only one amused as Peridot, who was completely silent up till now, quietly snicker in the background.

After taking a moment to compose herself, Lapis continued. "No, that isn't it. Who I was really talking about was-" She was shaking at this point but steels herself and finishes. "My parents."

Complete silence rang out after that was said. Lapis nervously watches Steven for his reaction to this tidbit of information. Steven for his part was trying to process what he had heard. If what she said was true...

His eyes widen as a sudden realization dons upon him. "Wait then that would mean-"

Lapis caught on to what he was about to say and finished it for him. "Yes... I was born, not made." To say that out loud felt strange to the blue gem, but she pushed the feeling aside for now.

Looking to her partners she waited to see how they would react to this revelation. Steven looked genuinely surprised by this tidbit of information. He was also a little relieved that it wasn't what he originally thought it was, not that her having gemlings at one point is bad or anything. Peridot though looked to be more intrigued then surprised. The little green gem eyed her like a scientist would a new experiment but mixed with affection, though not as much affection as when she sees Steven but it's still there.

"So what happened to your parents?" Steven bluntly asked.

"W-What?!" The sudden question caught Lapis completely off guard.

"I asked what happened to your parents. You've insinuated that they are gone so something had to of happened to them." He reached out with a hand and grasped her shoulder gently. "So please Lapis... tell us what happened to them."

For a moment nothing happened. Lapis just stared at him blankly while he stared back worriedly. Then she reached up and laid her hand over his with a small smile. He smiled back and moved his hand to her cheek and stroked it tenderly. She embraced the touch lovingly.

"Okay... I'll tell you." She removed his hand from her face before looking at him directly. "But it's gonna be a long story."

Taking a moment to compose herself, she got her thoughts in order before begining her tale. "I was born around time when White Diamond was the only Diamond to have existed. My parents were a pair of Lapis Lazuli's that work with terraforming planets for gem colonization. They had been overjoyed to have me, declaring it to be happiest day of their lives." A warm smile spread across her face at the memory, before it became sour. "Then Yellow Diamond was made." She spat the name with such anger and venom that Steven and Peridot became a little worried. It was made clear that she despised the monarch and Steven wondered what would happen if she rang into his aunt. "White Diamond had appointed her as head of Homeworlds army's and she took to it like fish in water. Some time later she began declaring all these new laws and one of them was the banning of couples making gemlings together because she saw it as inefficient." She was becoming more and more angry as the story progressed. "Many were outraged by this and spoke out against her. A lot of them just straight up ignored this law and continued making gemlings with their partners. Yellow Diamond was enraged by this defiance and ordered her troops to shatter all gemlings in her fury." Now Steven was angry with his aunt while Peridot was just horrified. "My parents tried to hide and protect me from the purge. But they were shattered for their efforts" Tears were now streaming down her face as the anger was mixed with sadness. "I was forced to flee deep into the planets crust. I remained down there for what felt like eons, occasionally running into fellow gemlings trying to hide Yellow Diamonds forces. Then rumors spread that a third Diamond was made. It brought hope that if we joined her court we would be spared of Yellow Diamonds wrath. Soon enough I and many others journeyed to the surface in the hopes of joining this third Diamonds court, but also hoping that it wasn't a trap." Her anger had died down somewhat but not all of it was gone. "Thankfully the rumors were true and we all joined up with Blue Diamonds court. Of course Yellow Diamond heard of this and demanded our new Diamond to hand us over to be shattered. Blue Diamond was confused by all of this and when one of us explained WHY Yellow wanted us shattered she became enraged with her fellow Diamond. The two Diamonds argued for ages and a full on civil war almost broke out. Thankfully White Diamond intervened and forbid Yellow from even touching Blues court. Defeated Yellow left, fuming all the way to her palace." She was now calmer and wiped away any tears that remained in her eyes. "After all of that I worked for Blue Diamond for a couple millennia until the gem war happened and me being trapped in a mirror on this planet until I met you Steven." She affectionately poked his nose, or the carapace that covered it. "From there you should know that rest."

With her story done she waited for Steven and Peridot to start asking the numerous questions that they must have. Instead she was pulled into a tight hug by Steven, much to her surprise.

"I am so so sorry that you had to go through such a traumatic experience." Steven said, his own emotions getting the better of him. "I wish I could make the pain of what happened go away for you." At this point Peridot had joined in the hug, embracing her from behind.

Lapis didn't know what to say. She had expected questions from him and Peridot, not for them to suddenly embrace her and try to comfort her. Then the tears she thought were all dried up came flowing down once more. The love and care her partners are showing her is getting her all emotional again. With a happy smile she returns the embrace and basks in the love and affection her lovers engulfed her in.

For a time the lovers remained like that, embraced in a hug full of love and affection. No one wanted to break it, not even the corrupted and mutated gems that roamed nearby. The scene was too precious for any of them to interrupt. With that thought in mind the corrupted and mutated gems left the area, giving the three their privacy.

Soon enough the sun was going down and the three ended their embrace. They all were about to leave the lake when Lapis paused. A thought came to mind and soon a blush spread across her face. Thinking over it a little, she decides to follow through with the idea her mind has given her.

"Hold up a second Steven."

Steven turns to Lapis confused. He wasn't the only one as Peridot also stops and looks at her in confusion.

"Can we have a moment, alone" That last bit was directed at Peridot. The green gem was confused for a moment before taking the hint and leaving.

"I'll see you two back at the barn." Was the last thing Peridot said to the two before leaving the area.

Now alone, Steven stared at Lapis with a nonexistent brow raised. "Why is it that you want a moment alone with me?" He was genuinely confused on why Lapis wanted to be alone with him.

"Well I figured out a way for you to make me forget the pain~" Lapis had a seductive edge in her voice as she sauntered her way over to Steven with a sway in her hips. Steven in turn felt his face heat up as he tried to keep eye contact. "At least... for awhile~" Now she was pressing herself up against Steven, flustering him even more.

"A-And what way might t-that be?" Flashbacks of their date at the Strawberry Battlefield came to mind, specifically the more... passionate moments.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out~" Was all she said before reaching up and smashing her lips into his.

_*Lemon scene warning.*_

Steven was momentarily caught off guard by the sudden kiss, but was quick to returned the affection with much enthusiasm. He quickly found that being slouched over just to make out wasn't very pleasant for the back. Bring his hands down, he grabs Lapis by the hips and lifts her up to his height.

Lapis let out a surprised yelp from suddenly being lifted up in the air. She looked back at Steven confused, but only saw him grinning back at her. A lustful grin appeared on her face before she smashed her lips into his once again.

The kiss itself was becoming more and more heated between the two by the moment. Mouth's locked, their tongues fought for domination against one another. In the end Stevens had won the struggle and his tongue dove into her mouth, exploring its insides.

Lapis's mind was getting foggy from all of this, and they haven't even gotten to the good stuff yet! In that moment she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled herself closer to him.

Their kiss deepened and Steven became a little emboldened. Moving his hands from her waist to her ass he gave it a tight squeeze, earning a moan from Lapis. Liking the sound of her moans he continued to play with her ass.

Soon enough the kiss broke and the two stared into each other's eyes. Their eyes were filled with a mix of love and lust. The staring quickly changed to the two giving each other love bites. It was easy for Steven to sink his teeth into her exposed skin before licking the mark he left. Lapis on the other hand had a little trouble thanks the carapace that covered Steven, but was able to fined some exposed skin to attack and mark with her teeth.

Stevens gaze soon shifted downward to Lapis's chest and couldn't help but want to see her exposed chest again. Being a little impatient he just bites down on the shirt that separates him from his prize and rips it off. Taking a moment to admire her breast he notes that the corruption did cover them, or at least her right breast with gold splotches and the nipple itself being gold in color compared to the other that's a dark blue. Not at all deterred by this he dives right in and begins fondling with the fun bags. After a time he begins to instinctively start sucking and biting her nipples. The moans Lapis made told him she was enjoying it.

Wanting to take things up a notch he rips Lapis's skirt off and lifts her up even higher, startling her, until his head was between her legs. A rather arousing scent filled his nostrils as he looked at his target and felt a tightness in the carapace covering his crotch. A single piece of cloth, drenched in fluids, separated him from the Lazuli's wet snatch. Deciding to have a little fun he begins to kiss along her thighs, deliberately slow purposely avoiding the main prize. This frustrated Lapis and she made it known by gripping his horns and try to press her crotch into face.

Taking the hint he bites down on the damp garments and tears them off like he did with her top. The sight of his lover's exposed snatch was mesmerizing, couple that with the influx of that arousing smell and Steven felt the carapace covering his crotch become even tighter. Not wasting a moment his tongue sprang forth from his mouth and started lapping her wet lips. This earned him some pretty loud moans and they sounded like music to him. Taking it one step further he stopped lapping the outside and plunged his reptilian like tongue a good foot inside.

Lapis's head fell back as she let out a screech of pleasure. She could feel his tongue writhing inside her and the pleasure it brought was almost to much for her. It practically filled her and managed to hit her G spot. Her climax was brought very quickly and practically rocked her whole body, twitching and spasming from the pleasure alone. She would have fallen to the ground if not for wrapping her legs around his head and gripping his horns for support.

"T-That... was... i-intense..." Lapis managed to huff out as she started to come down from her climatic high.

Steven just grunts before slowly pulling his tongue out, getting a shiver from Lapis. He gives her a toothy grin before lowering her and starting another make out with her, tongue included. Meanwhile he slipped a hand away and moved it to his crotch before proceeding to remove the carapace covering it. A largely engorged dick that's almost as thick as his wrist sprung out from behind the carapace for the world to see. It twitched in the open air and Steven was gonna make damn sure it's put to good use. Ending the kiss he grins at her before jerking his hips up, resulting in his rod smacking her ass.

Lapis let out a surprised yelp and looked down at the cause of it. When she saw what had smack her backside her eyes had widened to saucers. Lapis looked from the positively intimidating dick to Stevens grinning face. She could see the unspoken question dance within his lustful gaze and just simply nodded.

Steven carefully lined himself up with her quivering entrance and pressed his tip against it. With another nod from Lapis he slowly sheathed the head of himself inside the Lazuli's inner walls. Pleasure shot through his systems as the tip entered inside of her. He wasn't the only one who felt the shot as Lapis clung to him in a death-grip, moaning loudly. This in turn amazed Steven, if this is the kind of pleasure they got from just the tip entering...

Excitement bubbled inside him and he stopped being gentle and just impatiently thrusted the rest of his rod inside her. Lapis's shouts of pleasure invigorated Steven and he started going in and out of her snatch at a fast paste. Shaking things up a little Steven supports Lapis's body with one hand and brings the other up to play with her chest.

Too caught up in the moment were they unable to notice their gems glowing and leaking out a translucent stream of energy. This leaked energy then began to swirl and dance around their bodies, each stream matching its owner's color. Soon the two energy's met and begin to mingle with each other in a harmonious dance.

Then they connected.

The love, passion, and pleasure they felt at this very moment was indescribable. Neither of them was even able to speak words to each other. For the first time they felt as though they were truly one, fusion didn't even compare to the connection they feel at this very moment. The twos eyes roamed each other's body, Steven admiring Lapis's naked glory while she did the same with his bulky frame. With one last look into each other's eyes they kissed, resuming the love making with a lot more love and passion.

It all felt just so much MORE now. Steven continued to thrust inside Lapis while she gripped his horns and tried to deepen their kiss. Before either of them knew it they had reached their peak. With a scream/roar they climaxed, bodies shaking in ecstasy and their connected energy's becoming almost blinding with their glow. Riding the after glow they kissed one last time.

_*Lemon Scene End.*_

As things began to calm down Steven had finally collapsed, falling down on his back with a loud thud. Their once connected energy's dissipated and returned to their respective gems.

As he laid there with Lapis on top of him he reminisced about what he had just done. All he could do was grin a big smile at what he had just done. It was then that he noticed Lapis stir from her climax induced coma and look up at him. She smiled at him lovingly before leaning forward and pressed her forehead to his. An instinctive croon left his throat and he closes his eyes, enjoying the moment.

The moment was broken though when some nearby bushes rustled and out came Peridot ranting.

"What is taking you guys so long to-" She stopped when noticing the position and state the two were in. A dark green blush rapidly spread across her face as she stared at the two.

Steven and Lapis just stared at her for a moment before look back at each other.

"Up for round 2, with Peridot this time?" Lapis asked. Her answer was Steven grinning back at her and sending a vine out to grab and pull Peridot towards them.


End file.
